FC Bayern Basketball secured a memorable 97-89 win over Real Madrid in the first EuroLeague game at SAP Garden in Round 1 of the 2024-25 season.

Bayern takes opening night thriller over Real Madrid, 97-89

In a thrilling contest of constant swings in momentum, FC Bayern Munich eventually overcame Real Madrid 97-89 to claim a famous victory from the first game at the spectacular new SAP Garden.

The first two quarters followed the same pattern, with Bayern starting strong but Real responding to keep it close at halftime. The script was flipped as the Spanish team surged clear with a 0-13 run after the break, but Bayern came back magnificently with its own 13-0 run to grab the win.

Johannes Voigtmann inspired Bayern with a double-double of 19 points and 10 rebounds, Shabazz Napier was the top scorer with 25 points and Carsen Edwards contributed 14. Facundo Campazzo led Real with 19 points and 9 assists, Dzanan Musa netted 18 points and Walter Tavares had 12 points and 9 boards in a losing effort.

Game Videos

Both teams focused their early efforts inside, with Tavares and Musa netting for Real while Vladimir Lucic and Devin Booker answered for the host. Andreas Obst scored 8 points in 90 seconds, including a pair of two three-pointers, making it 14-7. A flurry of threeballs from Voigtmann and Napier kept the host ahead, but Musa and Serge Ibaka both scored from close and long-range, and Xavier Rathan-Mayes incredibly beat the buzzer from mid-court to make it 26-29 after 10 minutes.

Napier scored five points straight early in the second, before Niels Giffey struck a corner three and Edwards had a layup-and-one to complete a 13-0 run for a 39-31 lead. Rathan-Mayes rescued Real with a three-point play, but Napier and Voigtmann again struck from deep, and Booker netted at the basket for the game’s first double-digit lead, 49-38. Sergio Llull’s three-pointer, Tavares’s dunk and Campazzo’s transition jumper pulled Real back, 50-49. Oscar da Silva’s free throws snapped a 0-9 run, and Gaby Deck’s tough layup made it 52-51 at the break.

Game News

Voigtmann’s basket at the rim opened the third quarter scoring, but triples from Alberto Abalde and Campazzo, along with a pair of inside strikes from Musa, sent Real ahead, 54-61. Tavares’s three-point play completed a 0-13 run to give the visitor a double-digit lead, before Napier’s fast-break layup ended Bayern’s five-minute scoring drought. Campazzo struck from deep but Booker boosted Bayern with a three-pointer and a showtime slam, 61-69, and Napier added a jumper and one to make it 64-73 with ten minutes remaining.

Da Silva and Edwards scored the first 5 points of the final period, before Rathan-Mayes reignited Real. But Voigtmann’s fourth triple of the night was followed by Niels Giffey from deep, tying it up at 75-75. Edwards scored four straight points and Napier hit his fourth three-pointer, giving the host an 82-77 lead midway through the period. Voigtmann stretched the advantage into double digits with another deep strike, completing a 13-0 run. Campazzo’s layup and Musa’s three-pointer gave Real hope, and Campazzo struck from deep to make it 90-87 inside the last minute. Campazzo’s free throws made it 90-89, but Lucic also held his nerve from the line to seal the win.

On a special night for the German side, it recorded a memorable victory

FC Bayern Munich v Real Madrid (2024-10-03T18:45:00.000Z)

Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz secured an 88-82 win over KK Partizan in Round 1 of the 2024-25 EuroLeague season.

Baskonia grinds down Partizan, 88-82, thanks to cohesive team effort

Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz celebrated an impressive 88-82 home win over Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade in Round 1 of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague after coming from behind in an enthralling contest which lit up a packed Buesa Arena.

New arrival Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot, who joined Baskonia from French rival LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne during the offseason, came up big on his debut for the Spanish outfit as he earned the player of the game award after racking up 15 points, 4 boards, 2 assists and 1 block in a smooth all-round performance.

Sharpshooter Markus Howard netted a team-high 17 points for Baskonia, captain Tadas Sedekerskis added 14, Chima Moneke posted 13 and Trent Forrest chipped in with 10, including a clutch three-pointer off the glass in the fourth quarter which gave the home team the lead for good, 73-72.

At the other end, twin towers Tyrique Jones and Brandon Davies carried a new-look Partizan with 22 and 20 points, respectively. Vanja Marinkovic scored 11 points against his former club and Iffe Lundberg netted 10 for the visitors, who ran out of steam down the stretch after dominating the first half.

Ironclad defense saw Partizan engineer a 32-38 first-half lead, with Tyrique Jones proving a handful for Baskonia’s big men. Davis too enjoyed plain sailing on offense, with Partizan sinking five shots from downtown in the opening two quarters while stifling out Baskonia’s long-range artillery.  

Jones continued to torment his markers in the third, scoring 9 points in the opening five minutes with some lightning moves close to the rim, but Howard and Luwawu-Cabarrot found their range too at the other end as Baskonia slashed the deficit to 59-60 heading into the final 10 minutes of a rip-roaring matchup.

The home fans were in raptures when Luwawu-Cabarrot scored the final basket of the third period, rounding his marker before he took off and rocked the rim with a one-handed slam jam which could figure as a strong contender for one of the best dunks of the season.

With Jones slowly running out of steam, Davis took over the mantle for Partizan early in the fourth quarter, but one could sense the visitors would be forced into submission after Forrest made that audacious shot off the glass to turn the tide.

With their confidence high, Baskonia hit top gear in a frantic finish and made sure they gave head coach Pablo Laso a dream debut on an emotional homecoming to his boyhood club, where he featured as a player from 1984 to 1995.

Davies and Marinkovic kept Partizan barely afloat in the last two minutes with a couple of fine shots from deep, but it was too little too late as Howard kept his nerve from the foul line to seal Baskonia’s victory.

The home side trailed for much of the contest and then prevailed down the stretch with five players finishing in double digits

Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz v Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade (2024-10-03T18:30:00.000Z)

Maccabi Tel Aviv BC leaned on a strong fourth quarter to beat LDLC ASVEL 89-82 in Round 1 of the 2024-25 EuroLeague season.

Maccabi comes from behind to beat ASVEL, 89-82

Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv opened its Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season in style with an 89-82 victory over LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne, coming back from 10 points down in a game that featured 23 lead changes.

Tamir Blatt had career highs of 21 points, 12 assists and 37 PIR for Maccabi while Jaylen Hoard and Jordan Loyd both scored 15 points, while Jasiel Rivero added 11 points and 9 rebounds. Joffrey Lauvergne paced ASVEL with 17 points and Paris Lee tallied 12 points and 4 assists. 

Theo Maledon knocked down a three-pointer for ASVEL’s first points of the season and Loyd did the honors for Maccabi before Rivero gave the home side its first lead. That was the start of a breathtaking back and forth with 14 lead changes in the first quarter - Lauvergne pouring in 9 points for the guests and Rokas Jokubaitis scoring two straight baskets for Maccabi. ASVEL finished strong with the final nine points on a couple of three-point plays by Nando De Colo and Mbaye Ndiaye and a buzzer-beater triple from Edwin Jackson to lead 24-31 after 10 minutes.

ASVEL continued the surge in the second quarter and Jackson gave the French side a 10-point lead, 26-36. Blatt stepped up at the other end with two three-pointers and Roman Sorkin put Maccabi back ahead 43-42. Lauvergne and Hoard went at it in the paint against each other and the game went back and forth again with four lead changes to end the first half with ASVEL up 51-52 at the break.

Early in the second half, Lee and David Lighty hit triples and ASVEL was up 54-58. Maccabi had a strong spurt of 10-2 with Rivero book-ending the run with scores and a 64-60 cushion. A Lee triple pushed the guests back into the lead, 64-65. Two Tarik Black scores had ASVEL up 65-69, but the score was level 70-70 after three quarters.

Shaq Harrison tallied the first five points of the third quarter to give ASVEL a five-point lead. John DiBartolomeo trimmed the margin to 77-78 on a three-pointer for Maccabi. The defenses of both teams were finally getting consistent stops, though Lauvergne made it 77-82. Blatt and DiBartolomeo both hit triples at the other end and Maccabi was up 83-82 with 2 minutes to play. Blatt then hooked up on alley-oop dunks by Hoard on back-to-back possessions to make it 87-82 with 30 seconds to play to decide the game. 

The Israeli side went to another gear in the fourth quarter to win the game

Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv v LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne (2024-10-03T19:00:00.000Z)

AS Monaco Basket, with Mike James still working his way back to form post-surgery, steamrolled Olimpia Milano in Round 1 of the 2024-25 EuroLeague season.

Monaco ‘better than expected’ in demolition of Milan

In the lead-up to the season opener, the battle between AS Monaco and EA7 Emporio Armani Milan was pitted as a clash between two recent Turkish Airlines EuroLeague MVPs: [Mike James](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/mike-james/005985/), the current holder of the award, and the 2022 MVP, [Nikola Mirotic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/nikola-mirotic/000796/).

Yet, the two star players ended up being more on the periphery as [Monaco overwhelmed Milan 93-80](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/monaco-runs-past-milan-in-opener-93-80/) to start its season on the right foot.

"I would say it was over my expectations, to be honest," claimed Monaco head coach Sasa Obradovic. "It was a great team win, everybody contributed on a high level. The first part was good defensively, and the whole game we did a great job offensively."

James, in action for the first time since a procedure on his back over the summer, played 18:36 minutes and finished with 9 points and 5 assists, with all but two of those assists coming in the first half. James gave his teammates a nice boost, scoring his first bucket after only seven seconds and helping Monaco to a 21-halftime lead.

"It is different when Mike is there, the floor is larger with him, I would say," said Obradovic.

"Mike James is an X-Factor, always. He makes it easier for us, and we just play off of him," added [Alpha Diallo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/alpha-diallo/011226/), the game’s top scorer with 20 points.

But what made the biggest difference was Monaco’s offensive rebounding. The hosts had 12 offensive boards in the first two quarters, on 20 missed shots.

It prompted a halftime reaction from Milan coach Ettore Messina, who questioned his team’s heart. The visitors allowed just 3 offensive rebounds after the break, but the deficit proved to be too big to overcome.

"There are a lot of good things we showed in this game," said [Mam Jaiteh](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/mam-jaiteh/002581/), who had 10 points and 7 rebounds. "There have been many changes on the team, but the mind is there, the atmosphere is good, and I have no doubt we are going to raise our team spirit and chemistry."

After one game, played without [Nick Calathes](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/nick-calathes/001932/) and with James far from his best, Monaco certainly looks like it will have plenty to say this season.

Alpha Diallo was the team's surprise star on the night

AS Monaco v EA7 Emporio Armani Milan (2024-10-03T17:00:00.000Z)

Panathinaikos BC had a happy return to Uber Arena, where it won its seventh continental crown last May. On Thursday night, the Greens downed ALBA Berlin 77-87 in Round 1 and showed they have the potential to be even better this season. 

Panathinaikos showed its impressive depth in Berlin 

Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens had a happy return to Uber Arena, where it won its seventh continental crown last May. On Thursday night, [the Greens downed ALBA Berlin 77-87](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/panathinaikos-bc-beats-alba-in-berlin-77-87/) in Round 1 and showed they have the potential to be even better this season.

Panathinaikos had five players score in double digits, with all of them being with the team last season. [Kendrick Nunn](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/kendrick-nunn/012774/) led the way with 16 points. [Mathias Lessort](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/mathias-lessort/003842/) added 14 and 8 rebounds, [Juancho Hernangomez](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/juancho-hernangomez/012712/) had 11 points in his favorite city (he became a EuroBasket champion with Spain and a Turkish Airlines EuroLeague winner with the Greens at Uber Arena) while [Kostas Sloukas](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/kostas-sloukas/001926/) and [Jerian Grant](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/jerian-grant/011204/) each netted 10. Sloukas had 8 of those in the final five minutes to make sure he stopped ALBA's fourth-quarter comeback.

After the game, Nunn gave us one of the keys that could make the Greens better: the team is deeper, and that should pay off in the long run.

"It felt good, especially opening up here in Berlin. It felt really nice to be back in this arena. Most importantly we got the victory, so I'm happy," Nunn told the EuroLeague TV cameras. "It adds depth to our team. Like you were seeing today, we almost did a five in, five out type of sub, and we have the depth to keep guys fresh. That will help us throughout the season."

Indeed, the newcomers all delivered and showed they can be major contributors in the long run. [Cedi Osman](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/cedi-osman/004088/) had 5 points, a steal and a block, being very active at both ends. [Lorenzo Brown](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/lorenzo-brown/009622/) finished the game with 5 points and 5 assists. [Omer Yurtseven](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/omer-yurtseven/005353/) had 8 points on 4-of-4 shots, 3 rebounds and a PIR of 10 in just over 14 minutes.

Lorenzo Brown, Omer Yurtseven and Cedi Osman combined for 18 points to lead Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens past ALBA Berlin in Round 1.

Newcomers gave Panathinaikos a boost in Round 1

Lessort believes that the fact that Panathinaikos is the reigning EuroLeague champion does not change things at all, as the Greens will have to go out there and fight for every victory.

"It is a whole new season. We don't start this season with any advantage from last season. We are starting from zero and have to prove ourselves again," Lessort said. "We have a lot of new players and never two seasons look the same. We cannot count on last season to carry on to this one. This is our season and we have everything to prove this year."

It is early in the season but head coach Ergin Ataman knows that its improved depth can be decisive in Panathinaikos's challenge to win a second consecutive EuroLeague title for the first time in club history.

"We have a good depth in our roster. We need to find a better focus on defense, because offensively, we have great potential. But sometimes on defense, the players on the court try to rest and this is not good because we need to find more fast-break points to break the game," Coach Ataman said. "OK, we can learn about this. We will work, it is the beginning of the season, so I have a lot of confidence for these guys."

Next week, Panathinaikos returns to OAKA to play its first EuroLeague game since the 2023 playoffs, on October 10 against FC Bayern Munich.

The Greens could be even better in 2024-25 than they were in 2023-24

ALBA Berlin v Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens (2024-10-03T16:45:00.000Z)

Zalgiris Kaunas, led by some fourth-quarter heroics by Sylvain Francisco, downed FC Barcelona 74-67 in Round 1 of the 2024-25 EuroLeague season.

Zalgiris powers past Barcelona, 74-67

Zalgiris Kaunas started its 2024-45 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague campaign in style by beating FC Barcelona 74-67 at a buzzing Zalgirio Arena on Thursday. The hosts dictated the tempo throughout the content and imposed their style of play on FC Barcelona by playing tough on defense, which forced the visitors to score fewer than 20 points in each of the four quarters.

Sylvain Francisco led all scorers with 19 points, 15 of which were scored in the closing quarter. Ignas Brazdeikis also stood out on his return to Zalgiris and netted 17 points. Nico Laprovittola scored 12 points for the guests, with Kevin Punter and Jabari Parker recording 11 each.

Summer signings Tyrone Wallace and Brazdeikis netted a bucket apiece to start the game, but Willy Hernangomez responded from inside to tie it at 4-4. Brazdeikis sliced through Barcelona’s defense twice after a Jabari Parker triple and scored two layups to put Zalgiris ahead, 10-7. Then, Deividas Sirvydis opened his account from beyond the arc on his Zalgiris debut, but Barcelona newcomer Punter responded with one of his own on the other end to make it 13-10. Triples from Dovydas Giedraitis and Dovydas Giedraitis extended Zalgiris’s lead to 21-14 heading into the second quarter.

Wallace and Brazdeikis started strong again in the second and gave Zalgiris a 25-14 cushion. Yet, Barcelona fought back, with Laprovittola drilling a triple from deep to trim the deficit to 27-21. Boosted by the energy injected by the fans, Zalgiris responded with two triples from Arnas Butkevicius and a hard-fought Laurynas Birutis bucket to restore a 37-26 lead. Punter replied to a Matthew Mitchell midrange jumper with a triple on the other end, but Brazdeikis drilled an impossible off-balance basket to beat the second-quarter buzzer and make it 43-31 at the break.

Barcelona hit the ground running in the second half, forcing Zalgiris to commit 3 turnovers, and Laprovittola and Tomas Satoransky made the most of them to cut the difference to 43-37. Zalgiris struggled on offense and netted just one bucket in the first four and a half minutes of the third quarter. In the meantime, Alex Abrines drilled a three-pointer and Laprovittola nailed a layup to bring Barcelona within 45-42. Then, Sirvydis sank his second triple of the game, but buckets from Chimezie Metu and Parker were followed by two free throws from Justin Anderson, who tied the game at 48-48.  Edgaras Ulanovas came off the bench to provide his team with some much-needed energy, stealing a ball and scoring one from inside to give Zalgiris a narrow 50-48 cushion heading into the last quarter.

The hosts started strong in the fourth, with Brazdeikis and Mitchell scoring from inside before the former drilled one from deep to extend Zalgiris’s lead to 57-48. But Barcelona fought back and responded with a 0-6 run of their own, inspired by Parker. Yet, a step-back triple from Francisco got the fans off their seats before two buckets from the Zalgiris guard and another 2 three-pointers took his tally to 17 points and allowed the hosts to restore a 72-65 lead, practically clinching the victory.

Sylvain Francisco and Ignas Brazdeikis were the hosts' heroes on the night

Zalgiris Kaunas v FC Barcelona (2024-10-03T17:00:00.000Z)

AS Monaco Basket led from start to finish as it beat Olimpia Milano 93-80 in Round 1 of the 2024-25 EuroLeague season.

Monaco runs past Milan in opener, 93-80

AS Monaco led from start to finish and opened the new Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season in style, downing the visiting EA7 Emporio Armani Milan 93-80 on Thursday night. Monaco opened the game with an 18-4 run and held a 21-point lead at halftime behind its 12 offensive rebounds. The visitors halved the lead early in the fourth quarter behind Armoni Brooks, and briefly got within single digits, but Monaco’s lead was never in danger.

Alpha Diallo paced Monaco with 20 points, Elie Okobo had 14, while Furkan Korkmaz, Mam Jaiteh and Matthew Strazel scored 10 apiece, with Jaiteh also pulling down 7 rebounds. Mike James, last season’s MVP, had 9 points and 5 assists in less than 19 minutes on the floor. For Milan, Armoni Brooks netted 14 of his 16 points in the fourth quarter, while Neno Dimitrijevic had 11 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists. Zach LeDay also scored 11, and Shavon Shields finished with 10 in the defeat.

James needed just seven seconds to score his first basket, a short pull-up jumper, while Milan needed six minutes to get its first field goal, only scoring a pair of free throws in those opening minutes. Until then, Mam Jaiteh, Furkan Korkmaz and James have opened an 11-2 lead, and a three-point play from Alpha Diallo helped open an 18-4 margin. Zach LeDay and Armoni Brooks cut into the margin a bit, but the hosts held 22-10 after the opening 10 minutes.

Monaco wasn’t slowing down in the second, too. A triple from Okobo, the first of the game, and second-chance points by Jaron Blossomgame and Vitto Brown opened a 30-12 margin. Josh Nebo inside and Shavon Shields with a three-point play gave Milan some life, but Matthew Strazel and Okobo each knocked down a three, and a second-chance layup from Motiejunas extended it to 38-18. Shields had a three-point play and LeDay had Milan’s only three-pointer of the half, but Monaco went into the break up 47-26.

Nikola Mirotic knocked down two triples in the first three minutes of the third quarter, and a transition corner triple from Giampaolo Ricci cut it to 53-39. Milan kept charging, and a three-point play by Nebo got the visitors within 55-42. But a triple from Diallo changed the momentum, sparking a 7-0 run which restored a 20-point margin. A three-pointer from Strazel helped open 66-44, before Milan scored the last five points of the quarter and cut the deficit to 66-49 entering the final 10 minutes.

Back-to-back triples from Brooks gave Milan hope, cutting it to 68-55, and forcing coach Sasa Obradovic to call a timeout. Brooks continued to be hot, scoring eight more points, including two more three-pointers, getting Milan within 73-63. Milan got the deficit into single digits, 77-68, with 4:41 left, but a second-chance three from Diallo and a three-point play from Okobo opened 85-70, and Milan did not threaten again.

Panathinaikos BC has started the 2024-25 EuroLeague season with a win in Berlin, the same place it won last year's title last May.

Panathinaikos beats ALBA in Berlin, 77-87

In its first return to the German capital since winning the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague title last May, Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens collected its first win as reigning champion by downing ALBA Berlin 77-87 at Uber Arena in Round 1 on Thursday night.

Kendrick Nunn paced the winners with 16 points. Mathias Lessort added 14 and 8 rebounds, and Juancho Hernangomez had 11 points, while Kostas Sloukas and Jerian Grant scored 10 points apiece for Panathinaikos. Will McDowell-White netted 13 points in his EuroLeague debut with ALBA. Martin Hermannsson added 12, Trevion Williams had 11 while Khalifa Koumadje pulled down 13 rebounds for the hosts.

Lessort hit a five-minute jumper to get the first score of a new season. Nunn added a floater for a 0-4 Panathinaikos lead. Dinos Mitoglou bettered Louis Olinde's jump hook with a corner triple, then Lorenzo Brown swish a jumper for a 2-9 score. Jonas Mattisseck stepped up with a three-point play and Matteo Spagnolo added a backdoor layup to keep ALBA within 7-13. Lessort scored the next 6 points, including a power layup and a dunk to boost the Greens' margin to 7-19. Marius Grigonis struck from downtown and Grant scored in penetration, good for a 13-24 Panathinaikos lead. Spagnolo and McDowell-White brought ALBA within 17-26 after 10 minutes.

Omer Yurtseven scored around the basket early in the second quarter. Williams and McDowell-White each struck from beyond the arc to get ALBA closer, 23-30. Yurtseven and Yanni Wetzell exchanged dunks, then Hernangomez's triple restored a 25-35 Panathinaikos lead. McDowell-White scored again, Elias Rapieque added a driving layup and Justin Bean's three-pointer made the Greens call timeout at 32-37. Cedi Osman answered from downtown and Lessort dunked in traffic to keep the Greens out of trouble, 32-42. Nunn joined the three-point shootout but Khalifa Koumadje followed a jump hook with a tip-in to fix the halftime score at 36-45.

Lessort matched Hermannsson's first basket with a layup and soon added a dunk for a 38-49 Panathinaikos lead. Hermannson and Olinde stepped up for ALBA, then Koumadje's third-chance layup gave the hosts hope at 44-51. Hermannsson kept pacing ALBA and Koumadje ignited the crowd with an alley-oop slam that made it a four-point game, 47-51. Osman rescued Panathinaikos with a fast-break layup, which Nunn followed with a three-point play. A red-hot Hermannsson followed a floater with a three-pointer, then Spagnolo's circus shot got ALBA as close as 54-56, after a 7-0 run. Lorenzo Brown and Hernangomez helped Panathinaikos restore a 57-62 lead after 30 minutes.

Nunn buried back-to-back jumpers early in the fourth quarter, then Hernangomez dunked to restore a double-digit Panathinaikos lead, 57-68. Grant capped a 0-9 run with a three-pointer that McDowell-White matched at the other end. Williams and Mattisseck each joined the three-point shootout, then Justin Bean's coast-to-coast layup give ALBA fans plenty of hope, 68-73, with over 4 minutes left. Hernangomez sank his third three-pointer and Sloukas added his first one to make ALBA called a timeout at 68-79. Williams followed Koumadje's put-back slam with a three-pointer, then Olinde got the hosts within 75-79. Sloukas answered from beyond the arc to seal the outcome in the penultimate minute of the game.

The Greens returned to Berlin and did what it did last May: win

Check out what the coaches and players are saying ahead of the opening round of the 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season

Pre-game quotes hub: EuroLeague Round 1

The Turkish Airlines EuroLeague finally returns on Thursday with six games, then three more on Friday. Ahead of Round 1, we bring you the pre-game quotes from all the teams in one place. This page will be updated throughout Wednesday, Thursday and Friday with thoughts from the players and head coaches of all 18 teams.

## Friday, October 4

### Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul vs. Olympiacos Piraeus (19:30 CEST)

**Sarunas Jasikevicius, Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul head coach**

"Very happy to be starting the EuroLeague season. Missed the Ulker Arena, missed the fans. Obviously the opponent is top. It’s a great test but like we said, we are starting the grind and we have to be ready. Hoping the fans will appreciate Tyler Dorsey, the thing he did for Fenerbahce and show him respect. Like always against Olympiacos, we expect a very difficult game."

**Nicolo Melli, Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul foward**

"It is always a special game, the first one. We play at home, we play against a great team like Olympiacos. So I know for sure that it’s gonna be a wonderful atmosphere and it’s gonna be a tough game. But we are at home, we have to defend our home court and we will try to get the win. I hope to see the arena full. I cannot wait to play again in this arena. It's nice to be back."

**Georgios Bartzokas, Olympiacos Piraeus head coach**

"As all teams in this period of time, we all trying to figure out what are our potentials through practices. There are many question marks since it is the first EuroLeague game of the season, still we will give our best to get the win. Fenerbache has a great roster and for sure it is going to be a tough game. We have a game plan and if we stick to it, we will have a good chance to win."

**Even Fournier, Olympiacos Piraeus guard**

"It’s a good way to start the season with a tough match up on the road. I am excited and I am looking forward to the game. We will have a good practice tonight and see what happens… When you play on the road, the most important thing is to be focused, to respect the game plan and play together. As far as it concerns me, I don’t think that it will be hard for me to adjust to the European style. Basketball is basketball!"

### Virtus Segafredo Bologna vs. Anadolu Efes Istanbul (21:00 CEST)

**Coach Banchi, Virtus Segafredo Bologna head coach**

"The opening match against Efes will oppose us to one of the great powers of this decade, capable of already showing a high quality of play and cohesion, evidenced by the recent conquest of the Turkish Presidential Cup. They have a deep roster full of players capable of breaking the balance of the game, thanks to their technical and athletic qualities. The home debut in the EuroLeague will be an incentive to produce a game of consistency and continuity, fueled by the enthusiasm of our fans ready to stand by our side, in a season that we want to see us still playing a leading role."

**Will Clyburn, Virtus Segafredo Bologna head coach**

"Another EuroLeague season begins, maybe even more competitive than the past one and that is why it will be very exciting. At Efes I had two great seasons, I still have so many relationships with them, it will be nice and exciting to see them on the court again."

**Tomislav Mijatovic, Anadolu Efes Istanbul forward**

"Obviously a very important game for us in the opening week of the new EuroLeague season at a very tough road game against one of the most experienced teams this year in the EuroLeague. We know that it's gonna take our maximum effort to control the tempo of the offense, the tempo of the defense and the tempo of the game in order to put ourselves in a position to win the game - what we are going to Bologna for - and start the EuroLeague season with a great victory on the road. Of course, like I said, it's going to take 40 minutes of effort against a very well coached and a very experienced team. But our guys are ready and working very hard, and we're preparing to the maximum for that effort on Friday."

**Shane Larkin, Anadolu Efes Istanbul head coach**

"Virtus Segafredo Bologna is a very talented and an experienced team. They understand it is important to win home games in EuroLeague and will try to open the season with a victory. We have to be focused and the more aggressive team on both sides of the court. If we do that, I think we have a great chance to win."

### Paris Basketball vs. Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade (21:00 CEST)

**Ioannis Sfairopoulos, Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade head coach**

"Paris is a team that plays with a lot of enthusiasm and energy, especially now that they are playing the first game, so they will be extra motivated. We have been practicing hard for couple of days, and are preparing for their defense and offense. We know their strengths and will try to disrupt anything they want to do in the offense."<br>
<br>
**Luka Mitrovic, Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade center**

"The long-awaited start of the Euroleague! We are motivated, we worked well in practices in the previous period and I think we are ready. Against us, we have a new Euroleague team that will definitely be motivated to show themselves in the best possible way, and to show that they belong in this competition. An atypical team, somewhat unknown to all of us, especially in the early stages of the competition."

2024-25 season to mark the EuroLeague’s 25th anniversary


## Thursday, October 3

### ALBA Berlin vs. Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens (18:45 CEST)

**Israel Gonzalez, ALBA Berlin head coach:**

"Panathinaikos has an incredibly strong roster. They’re the defending EuroLeague champions and have only strengthened their rotation this season. It will be a tough game, but we're playing at home and want to show a team performance to bring all our energy onto the court. Intensity will play an important role, especially in the zone, in order to control Panathinaikos's strengths under the basket."

**Elias Rapieque, ALBA Berlin forward:**

"Playing against the defending champions right at the start of the EuroLeague is of course a huge task. But we have nothing to lose and are also playing at home at Uber Arena. That's definitely something special and will give us a bit of extra motivation. We have to keep the intensity high and have fun on the court as a team."

**Ergin Ataman, Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens head coach**

"We ended last season with a title in Berlin, and now we start the new season on the road in Berlin. We are ready for the season. All teams are strong, all teams want to win every game, especially when you play on the road it is very dangerous. Maybe some think ALBA is not a candidate for the place in the playoffs, but rosters on the paper is different than the game. In the opening round of the EuroLeague, in the entire first half of the season, everyone fights for as many victories and have a goal to reach the playoffs. It is very important to be calm, in the road game to play aggressive basketball with game discipline. Every game, especially in the beginning of the EuroLeague, is dangerous. Lorenzo Brown practiced with the team, I hope he will practice again \[Wednesday evening\] and I think he will be on the court \[against ALBA\]."

**Marius Grigonis, Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens guard**

"It is always fun for me. I played there so it is really fun to visit the city, to see the familiar faces, and obviously last season was a happy ending for us there. In the EuroLeague you can never underestimate a team. Whether it is ALBA or Real Madrid, you have to play the same way. We are not 100% percent, but we are getting there. We are the champions team, we have a lot of character, so one loss \[in the Greek Super Cup against Olympiacos\] will not affect us."

### Zalgiris Kaunas vs. FC Barcelona (19:00 CEST)

**Andrea Trinchieri, Zalgiris Kaunas head coach**

"This is one of the strongest EuroLeague campaigns ever. And besides the fact it will be fun to watch, we have to swim these seas. A lot of shakes, a lot of big teams, a lot of talented players. I am thrilled, but the challenge, the task, it will be tough. I am 100 percent sure, and we have to keep focus one game at the time trying to push ourselves over the limits. And have in mind that the only thing we can do in this EuroLeague is to play the best basketball that we can and to be the best version of ourselves, players and coaches, and if we do these two things the score will take care of itself. We should not focus primarily on the scoreboard, because it may happen and it will happen that we do whatever we can but the other team will be better. Because the level of talent, strength and power of many teams is very, very high."

"\[Against Barcelona\], we have to understand early in the game what kind of game it will be, because nobody knows. It is the first game."

### AS Monaco vs. EA7 Emporio Armani Milan (19:00 CEST)

**Ettore Messina, EA7 Emporio Armani Milan head coach**

"We are about to start a very high-level competition, very tough one. Each one of us will have to play for 34 games with concentration, attention to detail and with the best interests of the team at the top of his mind. During the preseason and up to the first Italian League game we demonstrated a good potential. However, we have to show it every game and for 40 minutes especially on the road, especially against top level teams such as Monaco, our first opponent."

**Nenad Dimitrijevic, EA7 Emporio Armani Milan head coach**

"It will be a tough game against a very competitive team, one of the best over the last three seasons. They made the Final Four a couple of years ago. They are a very physical team, with talented players. We need to approach this challenge the right way and try to get out of Monaco with a win. I was waiting the opportunity to play in the EuroLeague for some time, and to do that with a club like Olimpia Milan is a privilege."

### Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz vs. Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade (20:30 CEST)

**Zeljko Obradovic, Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade head coach**

"It's the first game in the EuroLeague, and we are entering with high ambitions. We had some preseason games with EuroLeague teams. What I would like to see in this game is that we continue to play the same way we have done so far, with the same desire and energy that we've had in all the games we've played up to now. I think that's the most important thing. Talking about the court there, it’s always a tough place to play. Baskonia, despite changing the team and coach, maintains the same style of play. What’s specific about Pablo Laso’s teams is a lot of transition, a lot of individual solutions, isolations, one-on-one play, offensive rebounding and, of course, a player who is very important — Markus Howard, who is capable of taking over 15 three-point shots. So, we've already gone through all of that, we are ready, and we'll see how everything goes tomorrow."

**Brandon Davies, Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade center**

"We are very excited to get the EuroLeague underway and started. Baskonia is a great team, very gifted and talented offensively. So, we need to make sure that we are also strong on offense ourselves. I've played against them many times in the ACB and EuroLeague, so I think we will be prepared."

### FC Bayern Munich vs. Real Madrid (20:45 CEST)

**Gordie Herbert, FC Bayern Munich head coach**

"It’s one of the best teams in Europe, a giant in European basketball. We have to find ways to deal with their strengths, which is a challenge for the players and the coaches. But we need to impose our will on them, be physical."

**Niels Giffey, FC Bayern Munich forward**

"Real is always under pressure, but it certainly wouldn’t be easier to beat them if they played here on May 3rd. We have to approach this season as underdogs; we won’t often be the favorites. But I’m not thinking about who comes when. You have to play against these teams, anyway. We want to prove ourselves at this level. I really like the arena. I think the atmosphere will be amazing."

**Chus Mateo, Real Madrid head coach**

"Tomorrow we play a big game for both teams because it marks the start of a competition in which we are usually at the top, competing to win the title. Hopefully, this year we can say at the end that, once again, we have competed to win the trophy. Now we are starting to get to know each other as a team and we have to be patient, do things well and put our best foot forward. This is the key to being in a position to fight for titles throughout the year."

**Sergio Llull, Real Madrid guard**

"We face this new edition of the Euroleague, as always, with great desire, with great enthusiasm and being aware that we are in for a very tough competition since all the teams have reinforced themselves incredibly well. Our objective is none other than to try to fight for the title, which is what we have done in recent seasons.. Tomorrow we have a big game in Munich. Bayern inaugurates its new arena and we expect a tough match against a rival that always makes things very difficult for us and with a crowd that is very supportive at all times, although we will try to play good basketball and win."

### Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv vs. LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne (21:00 CEST)

**Oded Kattash, Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv head coach**

"Under the circumstances, we are excited to start another EuroLeague season, a really challenging one. The first rounds in the EuroLeague ae always difficult, it is hard to predict who is going to win. We play at home, unfortunately not in front of our crowd, but we have to come out really focused and aggressive. We saw ASVEL, it is a dangerous teams, they try to create a lot of movement on their offense. Our job is first of all defensively, to try to slow them down. I expect a tough game."

Pre-game quotes hub: 'There are many question marks'

Virtus Segafredo Bologna v Anadolu Efes Istanbul (2024-10-04T19:00:00.000Z)

Paris Basketball v Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade (2024-10-04T19:00:00.000Z)

Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul v Olympiacos Piraeus (2024-10-04T17:30:00.000Z)