New Maccabi Tel Aviv guard Saben Lee had a EuroLeague to remember, playing a starring role as his team beat Anadolu Efes Istanbul in Round 3.

Saben Lee announced himself to the EuroLeague with stellar Maccabi debut

Imagine a team postponing practice just so that its new signing can take part. Well, that is what Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv did last Sunday as it awaited the arrival of [Saben Lee](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/saben-lee/013389/), who has been the talk of the continent in recent weeks. Maccabi knew that it was getting something special in Lee, and he already showed in Round 3 what he can offer.

It’s fair to say that Maccabi fans have been blessed when it comes to backcourt stars over the last two years, with [Lorenzo Brown](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/lorenzo-brown/009622/) and [Wade Baldwin](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/wade-baldwin-iv/009863/) developing into All-EuroLeague players, and – even if it was just one game – Lee looks like he could follow suit. On his Turkish Airlines EuroLeague debut, the 25-year-old finished with 23 points, 1 rebound, 5 assists and a 26 PIR, all in just under 22 1/2 minutes. Most importantly, he achieved those numbers in a win – [a 93-91 decision against Anadolu Efes Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/new-look-maccabi-impresses-in-win-over-efes-93-91/).

What was particularly notable about Lee was the way in which, following a jaw-dropping poster dunk on [Ercan Osmani](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/ercan-osmani/012710/), his teammates started to defer to him. Despite having been a Maccabi player for just three days, he was already commanding such a level of respect that he was leading the offense in crunch time, together with fellow guard [Tamir Blatt](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/tamir-blatt/011193/).

“I’m just grateful to be able to be here with a good group of guys who have sown confidence in me and just being able to play my game,” Lee told EuroLeague TV after the game.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="iw" dir="rtl">תארו את הבכורה של סייבן במילה <a href="https://t.co/yjX1HdhZy1">pic.twitter.com/yjX1HdhZy1</a></p>&mdash; Maccabi Tel Aviv BC 🇮🇱​ (@MaccabiTLVBC) <a href="https://twitter.com/MaccabiTLVBC/status/1846292452405047594?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 15, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Sometimes it is difficult to know how a player will adapt to the EuroLeague, but Lee has already taken to the competition like a duck to water. Perhaps it was to be expected after his electric start to the season, as he dominated in the first two rounds of the Basketball Champions League with Manisa Basket before signing with Maccabi.

On his BCL debut, the former guard for the Detroit Pistons and Phoenix Suns posted 36 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists, then he followed that up by tying the competition's all-time scoring record with a 43-point night in his second-ever BCL appearance. Curiously, that 43-point game came at the place Maccabi is temporarily calling home – Aleksandar Nikolic Hall.

“This court has definitely shown me love, for sure,” Lee said.

Fortunately for Lee, he won’t have to wait too long to play again at Maccabi’s temporary arena as Thursday night sees Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade make the trip across town in Round 4. It is early days, but Maccabi fans may already have a new hero to cheer for.

Game News

Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv v Anadolu Efes Istanbul (2024-10-15T18:05:00.000Z)

Zalgiris Kaunas improved to 2-1 in the 2024-25 EuroLeague season after beating Virtus Bologna 68-71 in Round 3, with forward Alen Smailagic playing a key role in the game's final minutes.

Alen Smailagic steps up late as Zalgiris downs Virtus, 68-71

Zalgiris Kaunas looked on course for a comfortable victory at Virtus Segafredo Bologna on Tuesday night, but the Lithuanian side went ice-cold and allowed the hosts to get back into the game. However, Alen Smailagic stepped up in the final stages of the contest to ensure that Zalgiris secured a 68-71 win, improving Andrea Trinchieri’s side to a 2-1 record. Virtus remains winless after three games of the 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.

Dovydas Giedraitis led the way for Zalgiris with a team-high 15 points, which tied his career high after he netted the same number of points against ALBA Berlin in Round 12 last season. Fellow guard Sylvain Francisco chipped in with 11 points, while Edgaras Ulanovas had 10. Virtus forward Will Clyburn netted a game-high 16 points for the hosts, who had Toko Shengelia and Alessandro Pajola score 11 points each and Isaia Cordinier contribute 10.

In what was a back-and-forth first quarter, neither team was able to get a firm grip on the game in the early stages. Clyburn was showing signs of getting back to his best, but Virtus' defense allowed the likes of Ignas Brazdeikis and Giedraitis to have plenty of joy, with Zalgiris holding a narrow 15-16 advantage after 10 minutes thanks to a tough layup by Francisco.

Zalgiris had the last three scores of the first quarter and carried on its momentum in the second, netting the first nine points of the quarter to take its scoring run to 13-0 and make it 15-25 on the scoreboard. Pajola and Shengelia decided that enough was enough and started Virtus' fightback, trimming the deficit to three points (24-27) with just over four minutes to go before halftime. When Clyburn scored four straight to pull Virtus within one score of Zalgiris, 28-30, the visitors outscored the hosts 14-2 the rest of the way to take a 30-44 lead into the break.

The third quarter saw a spirited reaction from Virtus, with Pajola and Shengelia heavily involved once again, as it outscored Zalgiris 15-4 through the first five and a half minutes to get within four points, 45-49. However, just like in the second quarter, that only seemed to wake Zalgiris up as Matt Mitchell struck from mid-range before Giedraitis, Lukas Lekavicius and Deividas Sirvydis all hit a triple apiece to give the Lithuanian side an eight-point advantage, 52-60, entering the final period.

Cordinier had been quiet for most of the game, but he started getting Virtus moving again in the fourth, scoring both inside and outside the arc to get the hosts within touching range, 59-62. Shengelia's three made free throws even saw Virtus go in front, 64-62, but Smailagic – another who had been relatively quiet – gave Zalgiris a new-found energy in the final minutes. Whether it was scoring points or being active on the glass, Smailagic was making his presence felt, scoring seven of Zalgiris' last nine points to ensure that Coach Trinchieri's side came away with a 68-71 victory.

The visitors came close to throwing their win away, but the Serbian forward ensured they got over the line

Virtus Segafredo Bologna v Zalgiris Kaunas (2024-10-15T18:30:00.000Z)

Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz trailed most of the way in its Round 3 showdown against Real Madrid but a great team effort paid off down the stretch. 


Baskonia's team effort pleases Coach Laso

All cameras focused on Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz head coach Pablo Laso. He grew up with Baskonia and played there for over a decade. Laso became a coach and started Real Madrid's current golden age, winning EuroLeague titles with *Los Blancos* in 2015 and 2018, as well as 19 domestic titles from 2011 to 2022. Once the game started, however, both teams meant business.

Baskonia lost starting center Donta Hall midway through the first half. Hall came off a strong performance in the Spanish League in which he had a PIR of 45. With or without Hall on the floor, Tavares was almost unstoppable all night long, going for 14 points on 7-of-9 two-point shooting, 15 rebounds and 3 blocks for a PIR of 29. Without the suspended Facu Campazzo, Sergio Llull and Xavier Rathan-Mayes combined for 11 assists and just 4 turnovers.

What allowed Baskonia to get the victory? First of all, it was able to diversify its offense. Six players scored 8 points on more, as Markus Howard led the way with 15. Howard returned to the bench early in the third quarter and returned to action with over 7 minutes left. He scored 9 points in those minutes, including a critical jumper in which he attacked the rim, saw Tavares in the lane, went back and hit the shot for a 74-70 Baskonia lead with 15.3 seconds remaining.

Howard thanked his teammates and the crowd after the game, knowing everyone in building trusted his scoring abilities when it was time to win the game.

"I think it was taking a deep breath and relying on my teammates. I have a great locker room full of guys that trust and believe in m. We believe in each other: just the way we talk to each other and communicate, that's how we were able to get out of funks, just being able to rely on each other, and a lot of guys stepped up tonight," Howard said. "Baskonistas, they always show up and show out. We can't do anything that we do on the court without them and their support. I am very fortunate for the fans that we have."

Markus Howard and Chima Moneke combined for 17 fourth-quarter points to lead Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz to a 76-72 home win against Real Madrid in Round 3 of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague.

Howard, Moneke lead Baskonia past Real

Six different players scored in the fourth quarter: Nikos Rogkavopoulos had all of his 5 points early in the fourth quarter. Chima Moneke stepped up big again with 8 points in the final 8 minutes, including a critical three-pointer for a 69-67 Baskonia edge with under 3 minutes left. Baskonia never trailed after that and Moneke rounded out his performance with the game-clinching free throws. He joked about his effectiveness after the game, too.

"I believe in myself, I believe in the team. Good things happen when I am in the game," Moneke said. "That's how we need to be, that's the only way we can win this season \[playing as a team\]. Obviously, people focus on Markus and myself but we need to be a deep team with people contributing in every aspect of the game and today, we did that," he added.

Laso highlighted his team's focus and intensity, as well as the fact that Baskonia is undefeated in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague at Buesa Arena so far this season, surviving tough tests against Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade and Real.

"We stayed in the game, we stayed focused. We were playing against a great team, we had our bad moments, we had out good moments but we were hanging in there, and that is what makes me proud, that we found the way to get back in the game," Coach Laso said. "I am very happy for my players because they did a great job every day to win this game. I am very happy for the people, it was a great crowd, a great game. We were playing an unbelievable team and got an important victory.

"It has to be \[a fortress\] for us. Playing at home, with this crowd, it has to be. We need this energy. I think I have players that when they give you the energy, the fans see it, and this is very important," Laso added. "From the beginning, we want to be a tough team to win and that is what we showed against Partizan, Zvezda and Madrid today. This is the way it has to be. I don't know how far we will go but we will be there."

The Basque side trailed most of the way in its Round 3 showdown, but a great team effort paid off down the stretch

Baskonia's team effort against Real Madrid pleased Coach Laso

Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz v Real Madrid (2024-10-15T18:30:00.000Z)

Sasha Vezenkov and Shaquielle McKissic combined for almost half of Olympiacos Piraeus’s points in its 89-68 victory over EA7 Emporio Armani Milan on Tuesday night at Peace and Friendship Stadium. 

McKissic and Vezenkov inspired Olympiacos past Milan

On Tuesday night, [Sasha Vezenkov](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/sasha-vezenkov/003469/) and [Shaq McKissic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/shaquielle-mckissic/007853/) combined for almost half of Olympiacos Piraeus’ points in [its 89-68 victory over EA7 Emporio Armani Milan](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/tae2425-rs3-report-oly-mil/) at Peace and Friendship Stadium. The two Olympiacos stars netted 22 points apiece in less than 24 minutes each on the floor as the Greek side improved its record to 2-1.

After being named Round 2 joint MVP, Vezenkov delivered another extremely efficient display in front of the Olympiacos fans. The 29-year-old forward went 3 for 6 from inside the arc, 3 for 5 from deep and 7 for 8 from the line. He also recorded 7 rebounds, 1 assist and 2 steals for a PIR of 31. Should McKissic have not nailed a late triple, Vezenkov would have led all scorers on the night, but the Olympiacos summer signing made clear after the game that scoring tallies are not important as long as the team wins.

“We don’t care about these things,” Vezenkov said after the game. “The most important is that we played great defense for most of the game. One big win that gives us confidence. As we said from the beginning of the season, we have to protect our house, so we are really happy about that.”

Olympiacos won all four quarters (23-17, 16-10, 24-21, 26-20) and kept Milan to fewer than 70 points by producing a solid team performance on both ends. Despite playing less than 2 minutes in Round 2 against Zalgiris Kaunas, McKissic stepped up big off the bench when he was given the opportunity on Tuesday. He finished the first half with 12 points, including a layup to beat the second-quarter buzzer and didn’t play a single minute in the third, but he came to the fore again in the fourth to help his team clinch the victory.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">📸<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Euroleague?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Euroleague</a>, Round 3: <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OLYEA7?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#OLYEA7</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OlympiacosBC?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#OlympiacosBC</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WeAreOlympiacos?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WeAreOlympiacos</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TogetherWeFight?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TogetherWeFight</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EveryGameMatters?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EveryGameMatters</a> <a href="https://t.co/EhNd6dt8Gd">pic.twitter.com/EhNd6dt8Gd</a></p>&mdash; Olympiacos B.C. (@Olympiacos_BC) <a href="https://twitter.com/Olympiacos_BC/status/1846286814367084832?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 15, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

“I don’t believe that we waited for Shaq’s performance today to know what he’s given to our team in the last five years,” coach Georgios Bartzokas said after the game. “He’s been here for almost the same time as we, the coaching staff, have been here. He knows everything. He knows how much we trust him. He could play 1 or 0 minutes in a game and then play 30 in the next one and he adjusts to this. He wants to be useful for the team. He’s the epitome of the unselfish player who always gives his best.”

There should also be a special mention to [Kostas Papanikolaou](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/kostas-papanikolaou/001255/), who led his team again on both ends. The Olympiacos captain scored 13 points in a complete outing that also saw him record 2 rebounds, 2 blocks, 1 steal and 1 assist in a team-high 25:25 minutes on the court. 

Olympiacos is now set to travel to Turkiye, where it will face Anadolu Efes Istanbul on Friday. Vezenkov, McKissic and Papanikolaou showed the way in Olympiacos’s bid to win its first road game of the 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season and potentially complete a perfect double-round week.

It was a dominant display by the Reds, who are starting to catch fire

Olympiacos Piraeus v EA7 Emporio Armani Milan (2024-10-15T18:15:00.000Z)

ALBA Berlin finally tasted victory for the first time this season thanks to the combination of Turkish Airlines EuroLeague veteran Martin Hermannsson and rookie Trevion Williams. 

Veteran-rookie combo of Hermannsson-Williams gives ALBA first win 

ALBA Berlin finally tasted victory for the first time this season thanks to the combination of Turkish Airlines EuroLeague veteran [Martin Hermannsson](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/martin-hermannsson/008780/) and rookie [Trevion Williams](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/trevion-williams-/012604/).

Hermannsson scored 17 of his 21 points in the third quarter and Williams collected a double-double of 12 points and 11 rebounds as [ALBA defeated LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne 84-79](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/tae2425-rs3-report-ber-asv/) to improve to 1-2.

Hermannsson was playing his 79th EuroLeague game in his fifth season while Williams is just three games into his EuroLeague career after starring last season for ratiopharm Ulm in the BKT EuroCup.

ALBA Berlin guard Martin Hermannsson spoke to EuroLeague TV after his team beat LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne in Round 3 of the 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.

Martin Hermannsson: 'I have to shoot more threes'

The 30-year-old Icelandic point guard was just three points off his career high of 24 points and he also contributed 2 rebounds and 2 assists. Hermannsson knocked down 3 of 4 on three-pointers — all three makes coming in his big third quarter.

“Coach had been telling me all season I have to shoot more threes. I have been a good three-point shooter but maybe I am trying to find my teammates too much sometimes,” said Hermannsson, who had made 1 of 3 triple attempts through the first two games. “It makes my offense much easier when I am aggressive and I am coming off the picks to shoot. It felt good today, they were going in.”

Hermannsson did not add on his points total in the fourth quarter as ASVEL was making a comeback, saying: “I would have liked to have scored some more in the fourth. It would have been a little bit better.”

Williams is making his EuroLeague debut this season after being named to the 2023-24 All-EuroCup First Team and leading the EuroCup in rebounding (10.8 rpg). The 24-year-old added 6 assists and 1 block for a performance index rating of 19 against ASVEL. 

"I thought our energy all game was great. There was never a low point. We have to keep building off it. It’s always good to win. Even if it’s ugly, it’s always good to win. We have to keep building,” said Williams.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="de" dir="ltr">HERE WE G🤩🤩🤩🤩!<br><br>Zweites Heimspiel, erster Sieg! Wir machen zum Wochenstart gegen <a href="https://twitter.com/LDLCASVEL?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@LDLCASVEL</a> unseren ersten <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EuroLeague</a>-Sieg der Saison klar. Schmeckt! 😋<br><br>🫵 Am Donnerstag (17.10.) geht’s gegen <a href="https://twitter.com/FBBasketbol?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FBBasketbol</a>. Gleiche Zeit, gleicher Ort. <br><br>📸 Tilo Wiedensohler <a href="https://t.co/YMY6WrO5cj">pic.twitter.com/YMY6WrO5cj</a></p>&mdash; ALBA BERLIN (@albaberlin) <a href="https://twitter.com/albaberlin/status/1846277361589014761?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 15, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Williams’s effort on the glass helped ALBA win the rebounding battle 46-34 including 17 offensive rebounds. The American center had 4 offensive rebounds. He also stepped up late with an assist, free throw and two rebounds in the final 52 seconds to help secure the win. 

Hermannsson and Williams are just learning to play with one another and if they continue to work together like they did against ASVEL, the veteran-rookie combo could help ALBA to more wins. 

ASVEL had no answer for the German team's duo

ALBA Berlin v LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne (2024-10-15T17:30:00.000Z)

Saben Lee and Jaylen Hoard both had excellent games as Maccabi Tel Aviv BC beat Anadolu Efes Istanbul 93-91 in Round 3 of the 2024-25 EuroLeague season.

New-look Maccabi impresses in win over Efes, 93-91

Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv improved to 2-1 in this season’s Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season after defeating Anadolu Efes Istanbul 93-91 in Belgrade, Serbia, on Tuesday night. Led by an inspired Saben Lee, making his Maccabi debut, and Jaylen Hoard, the Israeli side showed an impressive resilience in the fourth quarter to keep Efes at arm’s length en route to a crucial victory. With this loss, Efes dropped to 1-2.

Lee ended up scoring a game-high 23 points in 22:28 minutes on the floor, while he also had 5 helpers just three days after signing for Maccabi. Hoard also had a strong showing with a season-high 18 points, with Tamir Blatt adding 14 and Jasiel Rivero netting 10. For Efes, Vincent Poirier and Jordan Nwora had their best game since joining the club this summer by posting 22 and 21 points, respectively, but it came in defeat. Darius Thompson and Rodrigue Beaubois had 10 points apiece, too.

Both Maccabi and Efes were coming off losses in Round 2, but it was Tomislav Mijatovic's men which started Tuesday's Round 3 clash the better. Ercan Osmani made a promising start to proceedings with a three-pointer and a block, then Poirier and Nwora started to put their fingerprints on the game. Controlling everything was Shane Larkin, who finished the night with 8 assists, as Efes led 15-24 in the closing stages of the first quarter. However, Jasiel Rivero stepped up for Maccabi before a Jake Cohen three-pointer at the buzzer ensured it was a one-point ballgame, 23-24, after 10 minutes of play.

Lee got his first taste of EuroLeague action by playing for 3:10 minutes in the first quarter, not taking a shot and registering 1 assist, but he certainly drew attention to himself with a posterizing dunk on Osmani early in the second quarter. That appeared to give him a big boost in confidence, and he soon started to take over as Maccabi's go-to guy on offense with his scoring and playmaking. After what was a very tight second quarter – neither team led by more than three points during the whole 10 minutes – it was no surprise to see the teams tied 52-52 at halftime.

There was very little to separate the two teams in the third quarter, too, but when Efes went on an 8-0 run thanks to points from Beaubois, Poirier and Nwora, the visitors held a 64-72 advantage with two minutes to play before the fourth. Lee once again appeared for Maccabi, going 2 for 2 from the line and knocking down a three to trim the deficit to five points, 69-74. Maccabi ended the period on a high, with Blatt finding Hoard for an alley-oop that turned into a three-point play, meaning Efes led 72-74 after 30 minutes.

The star man on the night, Lee, was front and center at the start of the fourth quarter as he scored a layup and followed that up with a fast-break score to put Maccabi narrowly in front, 76-72. When Larkin went down with an injury with just over eight minutes to go, it looked like that could be the game for Efes. Fortunately he was able to return after a spell on the bench, but the visitors found themselves in the midst of a dry spell on offense, which Nwora ended almost halfway through the quarter. The back and forth continued, always with Maccabi finding a way to get back in front, before Lee found Hoard for a layup with three seconds left that put the win on ice, 93-91.

A couple of the team's new arrivals put on a show

ALBA Berlin collected its first victory of the season by fighting past LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne 84-79 at home. 

ALBA finally grabs first season of win, fending off ASVEL 84-79

ALBA Berlin collected its first victory of the season by fighting past LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne 84-79 at home. ALBA took control of the game with a 14-2 run in the third quarter and held on to improve to 1-2, which is the same record for ASVEL.

Martin Hermannsson led ALBA with 21 points, Matteo Spagnolo scored 16 points, Trevion Williams posted a double-double of 12 points and 11 rebounds and Yanni Wetzell and Tim Schneider both chipped in 11 points. Theo Maledon paced ASVEL with 17 points, Paris Lee had 16 and Neal Sako also had a double-double of 12 points and 13 rebounds.

Maledon scored 4 points as ASVEL opened a 2-7 lead. Trailing 4-9, Williams came off the ALBA bench to spark the hosts with a 10-0 run. Williams added a triple and Spagnolo a three-point play as ALBA led 20-13 after 10 minutes. 

Two more Spagnolo scores pushed the ALBA advantage to 24-15. The host’s offense went cold though as Williams came off and Edwin Jackson buried a triple and Lee scored 4 points in a 0-9 spurt to knot the game 24-24. The ASVEL push continued with Lee's four-point play and baskets from Maledon to make it 31-36.  ALBA tallied the final 5 points and the teams went into the break even, 36-36. 

Game Videos

Hermannsson opened the second half with the first 5 points including the first of five straight threes in the game - two each by the Icelandic point guard and ASVEL’s playmaker Lee to make it 44-45. It was 46-47 when Hermannsson took over with 9 straight points for 17 points in the quarter and a 60-49 ALBA lead. And the hosts were ahead 64-54 after 30 minutes. 

ASVEL tried to get back into the game but ALBA had an answer each time. A Sako putback had ASVEL within 71-63 only to see 5 points from Wetzell leave the home side ahead 76-64. The visitors did not give up and David Lighty had two triples and a Sako layin left ASVEL within 79-76 with 76 seconds to go. Louis Olinde scored for ALBA but Lee and Maledon made free throws to trim it to 81-79 with 26 seconds remaining. Tim Schneider stepped up with 2 free throws - his first attempts of the season - and ALBA led 83-79 with 16 seconds left to secure the win.  

Martin Hermannsson played a key role with a huge third quarter

ALBA finally grabs first in of season, fending off ASVEL 84-79

Olympiacos Piraeus recorded its second consecutive victory at home by crushing EA7 Emporio Armani Milan in Round 3 of the 2024-35 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague campaign. 

Olympiacos thrashes Milan, 89-68, for second straight home win

Olympiacos Piraeus recorded its second consecutive victory at home by crushing EA7 Emporio Armani Milan in Round 3 of the 2024-35 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague campaign. The hosts dominated from the off at the Peace and Friendship Stadium, won all four quarters and looked solid on defense for the second game in a row. With this win on Tuesday night, Olympiacos improved to 2-1, while Milan dropped to 1-2.

Sasha Vezenkov and Shaquielle McKissic netted 22 points each to lead all scorers, with captain Kostas Papanikolaou adding 13. Zach LeDay paced the visiting team with 16 points, Ousmane Diop scored 14 and Giampaolo Ricci added 11.

The hosts got off to a strong start, with Vezenkov netting the first 5 points of the game and Moustapha Fall scoring a hook for a 7-0 run. Then, Evan Fournier opened his account before a second Vezenkov triple extended Olympiacos’s lead to 12-2. Diop scored Milan’s first field goal of the night midway through the first quarter before LeDay completed a three-point play to cut the difference to 14-7. A few Olympiacos turnovers allowed Milan to go on a 2-13 surge, with Fabien Causeur and Leandro Bolmaro nailing a triple each to put the visitors ahead, 16-17. Yet, Olympiacos responded with a 7-0 run, with Papanikolaou nailing a buzzer-beating jumper to restore a 23-17 lead heading into the second quarter.

LeDay scored 5 points to start the second, but McKissic replied with a three-point play on the other end, 26-22. Diop dunked in transition to end a 7-0 Olympiacos run inspired by McKissic and brought Milan within 33-26. Then, 3 points from Luca Vildoza were followed by a McKissic layup to beat the second-quarter buzzer and give Olympiacos a 39-27 cushion at the break.

Papanikolaou and Ricci traded triples before a Thomas Walkup layup in transition extended the Olympiacos lead to 45-30. But Ricci nailed two triples and Neno Dimitrijevic scored one of his own in a 0-11 run that was brought to an end by 4 free throws from Vezenkov that made it 49-41. Then, Shields sank one from deep, but two Papanikolaou buckets and a triple from Vezenkov gave Olympiacos a 56-44 cushion. Olympiacos pulled away heading into the closing quarter, with Fournier scoring his first triple of the night and Vezenkov taking his tally to 22 points for a 63-48 cushion.

McKissic hit the ground running in the fourth and extended Olympiacos’s lead to 68-51 with 5 personal points. Yet, Milan wouldn’t give up and fought back, trimming the deficit to 70-57 thanks to a 0-6 run. A timeout from head coach Georgios Bartzokas served as a wake-up call for his players, with Alec Peters and Vildoza netting one each from deep to make it 80-59. Milan did respond with a 0-5 run, but a Vildoza dagger set an 83-64 lead and practically put the game to bed.

The Reds again got big games from Sasha Vezenkov and Shaquielle McKissic

Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade staged a major upset in Round 3 with an impressive 57-76 road win over Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul as Joel Bolomboy stood out with 18 points and 11 boards.

Rampant Zvezda brushes aside Fenerbahce, 57-76 

Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade staged a major upset in Round 3 with an impressive 57-76 road win over Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul as Joel Bolomboy stood out with 18 points and 11 boards.

Nemanja Nedovic added 17 points for Zvezda and Mike Daum, who joined Zvezda during the off-season from Fenerbahce’s archrival Anadolu Efes Istanbul, enjoyed a memorable return to the Turkish capital with 14 points and 5 boards.

At the other end, Nigel Hayes-Davis paced Fenerbahce with a game-high 20 points to go with 8 boards, but the versatile forward was starved of support from his teammates as Devon Hall was the only other home player to register double figures, scoring 10 points.

Zvezda, which led throughout the lop-sided contest, made a flying start and raced into a 0-7 lead, which soared to 10-26 late in the first quarter as the visitors sank a barrage of deep threes from all over while stifling the home team with ironclad defense at the other end.

A rout was firmly on the cards when Zvezda pulled away to 12-31 early in the second, but Fenerbahce then enjoyed a rare good spell as it conjured a 10-0 run to slash the deficit. The hosts had beefed up their defense and were able to close the gap to 31-38 at halftime, largely thanks to Hayes-Davis who had 15 points on the interval, having scored 10 of his team’s opening 12 points.

A comeback looked likely when Fenerbahce closed to 41-45 early in the third quarter, but Daum then stepped up for Zvezda with some clutch baskets and the Serbian team pulled away to 42-54 ahead of the final 10 minutes, as Bolomboy continued to dominate at both ends of the floor.

Fenerbahce endured a torrid night plagued by poor shooting from all over in the wake of aggressive Zvezda defense.  It was hardly surprising that the visiting team raced clear to 51-67 before Fenerbahce’s key player Wade Baldwin scored his first and only 3 points of the game late in the fourth quarter.

The unstoppable Nedovic put the icing on the cake for Zvezda in the closing stages, draining a pair of successive shots from downtown as some of the home fans left the gym in a hurry before the final buzzer while Zvezda’s players danced with delight.

The Serbian team stretched its best-ever start to the EuroLeague Regular Season to three straight wins with a vintage performance in Istanbul

Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul v Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade (2024-10-15T17:45:00.000Z)