Maodo Lo and Deividas Syrvidis stepped up and made the difference at Palau Blaugrana 


New go-to guys help Zalgiris bounce back 

There was plenty of good news for Zalgiris Kaunas in Round 6. First and foremost, the Lithuanian giants registered a 73-88 road win over FC Barcelona to snap a two-game losing streak. [Tomas Masiulis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/zalgiris-kaunas/zal/masiulis-tomas) was able to celebrate his first victory as head coach at Palau Blaugrana, after registering many victories with Barca as [Sarunas Jasikevicius](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/fenerbahce-beko-istanbul/ulk/jasikevicius-saras)'s assistant from 2020 to 2023. Even better, Zalgiris saw some new players step up to lead the team to this win, making the team even more unpredictable on offense.

"We lost the last two games and had a little bit of a rough stretch, so it was good to get this win today. It was really, really good for us," Maciulis said. "It is early in the season and we had two good wins to start the season. Those were really, really good for us, but to come here and beat Barca is always tough."

In the opening five games, [Sylvain Francisco](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/sylvain-francisco/007975/) (13.4 ppg., 15.8 PIR), [Moses Wright](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/moses-wright/012878/) (13.4 ppg., 15.8 PIR), [Arnas Butkevicius](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/arnas-butkevicius/002676/) (9.0 ppg., 12.6 PIR) and [Nigel Williams-Goss](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/nigel-williams-goss/007982/) (13.0 ppg., 11.6 PIR) were Zalgiris's main pillars. All of them underperformed on this night. 

Williams-Goss scored the first two baskets of the game before leaving with an injury after less than 2 minutes. Butkevicius made 11 of 15 three-pointers (73.3% 3FG) before this game. He shot 0 of 2 from downtown in Barcelona for 2 points and a PIR of 8. Wright had 10 points and a PIR of 14 and even though Francisco scored 14, he buried a couple of threes once the outcome was clear after going 0 of 5 from beyond the arc earlier. 

What happened, then? Zalgiris proved it is a deep team in which everyone can step up. With Williams-Goss out of the picture and Francisco struggling to find his rhythm, [Maodo Lo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/maodo-lo/007032/) and [Deividas Sirvydis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/deividas-sirvydis/007029/) rose to the fore to make sure Zalgiris returned to winning ways. Lo was simply unstoppable, using his ballhandling to get good shots off the dribble. After being held scoreless in Round 5 against Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade, Lo finished the game with a season-high 20 points on 5 of 5 three-point shooting.

Sirvydis also saw extended playing time and made the most out of it. Sirvydis averaged 1.8 points on 20.0% shooting and a PIR of 0.6 in the first five games. He played over 21 minutes against Barca, scored 14 points and posted a PIR of 9. By excelling when their team needed them, Sirvydis and Lo gave Zalgiris fans plenty of confidence going forwards.

"I know how difficult it is to play here, so we are very happy. I think it was a team victory. We played solid defense for almost 40 minutes, so I am happy," Lo said after the game. "We played with physicality, so for me this is most important. We scored some tough shots, one-on-one shots but all started from the defense."

Maodo Lo led Zalgiris Kaunas to a 73-88 road victory over FC Barcelona. 

Maodo Lo has season-high 20 points in Round 6 

There is more, of course, and Lo pointed it out. Zalgiris had a near-perfect defensive effort, with extraordinary use of non-shooting fouls throughout the games. With [Nico Laprovittola](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/nicolas-laprovittola/006435/), [Juan Nunez](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/juan-nunez/010106/) and [Dario Brizuela](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/dario-brizuela/009992/) out, Zalgiris focused on stopping [Tomas Satoransky](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/tomas-satoransky/002939/) and [Kevin Punter](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/kevin-punter/009862/) and excelled at it. Satoransky reached the end of the third quarter with 0 assists and 5 turnovers. Punter missed a free throw after making 51 consecutive attempts, and was limited to just 7 points on 3 of 9 shooting.

Despite finishing the game with 16 assists and 8 offensive rebounds, Zalgiris always found good one-on-one opportunities, finishing the game with excellent shooting percentages (61.1% 2FG, 40.7% 3FG) while Barca struggled from all angles against the guests' suffocating defense (43.9% 2FG, 31.8% 3FG).

<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Maodo Lo in Barcelona: perfect game mode unlocked. 🔓<br><br>📊: 20 PTS | 5/5 3FG | 3 REB | 5 AST | 21 EFF <a href="https://t.co/OedXMYFvYX">pic.twitter.com/OedXMYFvYX</a></p>&mdash; BC Zalgiris Kaunas (@bczalgiris) <a href="https://twitter.com/bczalgiris/status/1981461425706168598?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 23, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></center>

"It is frustrating because Zalgiris played better than us. We didn't play a solid game and were not consistent on defense, especially in one-on-one situations, where they found a lot of easy situations," Barca head coach Joan Penarroya said. "After our turnovers, they ran and scored in easy fast-break situations. We didn't play solid defense and after that, we didn't play with good rhythm on offense, so no excuses."

The EuroLeague marathon continues for both teams in the coming two-round week. Zalgiris plays twice at home, facing Virtus Bologna on Tuesday and LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne on Thursday. Barca hosts EA7 Emporio Armani Milan on Tuesday before visiting Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade on Friday.

Game News

New go-to guys help Zalgiris bounce back in Barcelona

FC Barcelona v Zalgiris Kaunas (2025-10-23T18:30:00.000Z)

Hapoel IBI Tel Aviv continued to look like a seasoned title contender by holding off last season’s finalist AS Monaco with an 85-77 victory on Thursday night, keeping the Israeli team at the top of the standings with a 5-1 record.

Micic and Motley’s crew downed Monaco

EuroLeague debutant? [Hapoel IBI Tel Aviv](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/hapoel-ibi-tel-aviv/games/hta/) continued to look like a seasoned title contender by holding off last season’s finalist [AS Monaco](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/as-monaco/games/mco/) with an 85-77 victory on Thursday night, keeping the Israeli team at the top of the standings with a 5-1 record.

And although it was a strong team effort, as five different players scored in double digits, Hapoel leaned most heavily on two players who respectively dominated the backcourt in the first quarter and the paint in the fourth: [Vasilije Micic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/vasilije-micic/002580/) and [Johnathan Motley](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/johnathan-motley/011157/).

Hapoel headed into the game boasting the highest-scoring offense in the EuroLeague, averaging 93.8 points across the first five games. Maintaining those standards against Monaco’s stingy defense – statistically the third-best in the league at the start of the week – didn’t look easy, but Coach Dimitris Itoudis’s team started off with another impressive demonstration of its scoring power.

Inevitably, former EuroLeague MVP Micic was at the heart of everything, dishing a pair of assists inside the opening minute and then netting 7 points himself before the first quarter’s midway point. [Dan Oturu](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/dan-oturu/012788/) also impressed by scoring 7 points in those early exchanges, while [Collin Malcolm](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/collin-malcolm/012609/) demonstrated another facet of Hapoel’s offense by draining a trio of triples for a 27-18 advantage at the end of the first quarter.

But then Monaco stiffened its resolve, allowing just 35 points in the next two quarters to gradually take control of the game. The visiting team edged ahead towards the end of the third as [Daniel Theis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/daniel-theis/004132/), [Elie Okobo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/elie-okobo/011212/) and the irrepressible [Mike James](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/mike-james/005985/) provided scoring punch, and the early stages of the fourth quarter saw seven lead changes as the two teams traded blows.

Then Motley took over, scoring 11 points in just over 5 minutes and sending his team into an 80-75 lead. The big man then had an impact at the other end, coming out to the perimeter to block a shot from James. That allowed [Elijah Bryant](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/elijah-bryant/009846/) to convert a pair of free throws, followed by Micic rattling home his fourth triple of the night to secure the victory.

Motley finished with 17 points on 8-of-9 two-point shooting, with five of his scores coming from coolly converted mid-range shots as the Monaco defense concentrated on preventing him from attacking the rim.

“I knew they were playing drop a little bit,” he explained to [EuroLeague.TV](http://EuroLeague.TV) after the game. “So I wanted to shoot some jumpers and take advantage of the space they were giving me.”

That scoring explosion from Motley coincided with excellent defense at the other end of the floor, with Monaco held to just 14 fourth-quarter points. And aside from netting 29 points in a third quarter that it dominated, the Roca Team was very well contained throughout the other 30 minutes by Hapoel – a point not lost upon Micic as he reflected on the win.

<center>
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“We played really clever in those last 5 minutes in terms of defense – we knew exactly how to defend their main weapons,” said the Serbian star. “As we all know, Mike \[James\] is very tough and Mirotic very experienced. So we were ready, and then offensively we made the shots.”

Motley echoed those sentiments, adding that Hapoel was particularly motivated to tighten up defensively after allowing an average of 94.7 points over its last three games.

“We weren’t happy with our defense,” admitted the center. “So we went to the film room, figured out some things we could do better, and tonight we did a really good job.”

That combination of effective offense and improved defense added up to Hapoel’s fifth win of a remarkable start to the season, but Coach Itoudis warned his players that there’s still a lot of work to do.

“We didn’t lose our faith. Even when they took over, we were composed,” he said. “I’m happy that we’re in the process of becoming a real team. That will not make us relaxed – on the contrary, we’ve got to build on it.”

With Micic and Motley as the foundation stones, there’s certainly a lot to build upon.

Hapoel IBI Tel Aviv improved to 5-1 with the 85-77 victory

Hapoel IBI Tel Aviv v AS Monaco (2025-10-23T18:05:00.000Z)

FC Bayern Munich has announced the signing of Spencer Dinwiddie, who has agreed a deal until the end of the 2025-26 season. Crucially, the contract does not include an opt-out clause.

Bayern brings NBA veteran Spencer Dinwiddie aboard

[FC Bayern Munich](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/fc-bayern-munich/mun/) has announced the signing of [Spencer Dinwiddie](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/spencer-dinwiddie/014162/), who has agreed a deal until the end of the 2025-26 season. Crucially, the contract does not include an opt-out clause.

Dinwiddie (1.96 meters, 32 years old) has 654 games of NBA experience to his name. This will be his first time playing in Europe and, in turn, the EuroLeague.

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">From the NBA to Munich: We sign Spencer Dinwiddie! ✍️<br><br>Read more: <a href="https://t.co/Ickcdt9ubo">https://t.co/Ickcdt9ubo</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FCBB?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FCBB</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Rosterupdate?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Rosterupdate</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/SDinwiddie_25?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SDinwiddie_25</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA_de?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NBA_de</a></p>&mdash; FC Bayern Basketball (@FCBBasketball) <a href="https://twitter.com/FCBBasketball/status/1981354974954344699?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 23, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Last season, Dinwiddie's 11th in the NBA, he posted 11.0 points, 2.6 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 0.9 steals per night across 79 games for the Dallas Mavericks. That was the eighth campaign in which he has averaged a double-digit number of points.

His best scoring season came during his successful era with the Brooklyn Nets as he averaged 20.6 points in 2019-20 in 64 regular-season appearances, the first and only time he averaged 20.0 points or more per night.

After being drafted by the Detroit Pistons in the second round of the 2014 NBA Draft, Dinwiddie remained with the franchise for the next two years before joining the Nets in 2016. He remained with the team until 2021, but did enjoy a starring role in guiding Brooklyn to the NBA Playoffs in 2019.

Spencer Dinwiddie 2024-25 Highlights | Dallas Mavericks

Dinwiddie was acquired by the Washington Wizards in a sign-and-trade deal that involved five teams in August 2021, but he was traded to the Dallas Mavericks in February 2022. He made an instant impression in Dallas, averaging 17.7 points and 5.3 assists in 53 regular-season games and 14.2 points in 18 playoff appearances as the Mavs reached the Western Conference Finals.

In February 2023, Dinwiddie was traded back to the Nets, which saw him average a career-best 9.1 assists in 26 games. The following February, in 2024, he signed for the Los Angeles Lakers, then in the summer of '24 he re-signed with the Mavs.

Now, with Bayern having to deal with a lengthy injury list, Dinwiddie arrives in the EuroLeague with a chance to write a new legacy on this side of the Atlantic.

More Bayern News

The guard offers the German side a much-needed boost given its injury problems

Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade bolstered its backcourt with the addition of guard Jared Butler.

Jared Butler is Belgrade-bound after signing with Crvena Zvezda

Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade bolstered its backcourt with the addition of guard Jared Butler, the club announced on Thursday. The length of the contract has not been disclosed.

Butler (1.90 meters, 25 years old) arrives from the NBA, where he played for both the Philadelphia 76ers and Washington Wizards last season.

He averaged 9.0 points and 3.7 assists over 60 games between the two teams, including 11.5 points and 4.9 assists in 28 games with Philadelphia. 

Butler was a teammate of the Maccabi Rapyd Tel Aviv trio of Lonnie Walker, Oshae Brissett and Jeff Dowtin in Philadelphia and scored at least 20 points three times in that period, including a 26-point effort in January 2025.

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="sr" dir="ltr">Звездаши, добро јутро! <br><br>Током претходне ноћи Џеред Батлер је потписао уговор са црвено-белима и после тестова и медицинских провера ставиће се на располагање тренеру Саши <br>Обрадовићу!<br><br>Добро дошао у црвено-белу породицу! 🔴⚪️<br><br>Good morning, Crvena zvezda supporters!<br><br>Last night,… <a href="https://t.co/iijesElL0o">pic.twitter.com/iijesElL0o</a></p>&mdash; KK Crvena zvezda Meridianbet (@kkcrvenazvezda) <a href="https://twitter.com/kkcrvenazvezda/status/1981255815240515707?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 23, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

A native of Louisiana, Butler played college basketball at Baylor University, where he helped lead the Bears to the NCAA championship in 2021 as wan named Most Outstanding Player at the NCAA Final Four. He began his professional career with the Utah Jazz in 2021 and played one season for the Oklahoma City Thunder.

In total, Butler appeared in 148 NBA games over four seasons with four clubs. Butler also played in the G League with the Salt Lake City Stars, Grand Rapids Gold and Capital City Go-Go.

This marks Butler’s first taste of European basketball. He joins a Crvena Zvezda squad that is 3-2 in the EuroLeague, but 2-0 since Sasa Obradovic took the reins as head coach.

More Crvena Zvezda News

Former NCAA champ comes to the EuroLeague for the first time 

Despite seeing his team fall narrowly to Maccabi Rapyd Tel Aviv 92-91 at Aleksandar Nikolic Hall in Belgrade, Serbia, on Wednesday night, Real Madrid head coach Sergio Scariolo’s post-game reflections underscored a mixture of pride, frustration, and resolve as his team battled fiercely but ultimately came up just short.

Narrow loss in Belgrade highlights Real Madrid’s resolve

Despite seeing his team fall narrowly to Maccabi Rapyd Tel Aviv 92-91 at Aleksandar Nikolic Hall in Belgrade, Serbia, on Wednesday night, Real Madrid head coach Sergio Scariolo’s post-game reflections underscored a mixture of pride, frustration, and resolve as his team battled fiercely but ultimately came up just short.

Early in the contest, Madrid had the game firmly under control, but a costly “disconnection” in the final 5 minutes of the second quarter allowed Maccabi to surge ahead and take the lead.

"We were controlling the game and we ended up, even for little mistakes, going to the locker room with a 9-point disadvantage,” Scariolo noted.

Despite that setback, Madrid mounted an impressive comeback in the second half, with every player contributing.

“Everybody, basically, all those 10 players who played in the second half were putting their stone to that great comeback,” the coach said with commendation. The game swung dramatically in the closing minutes, with Real Madrid having chances to seal the win.

After Facundo Campazzo put Madrid ahead with free throws with 25.7 seconds left, Lonnie Walker missed a jumper for Maccabi and Mario Hezonja, who paced Madrid with 24 points and 9 rebounds on the night, corraled the rebound. However, Hezonja wound up on the floor and his shoulder touched the endline, resulting in a violation and another chance for Maccabi.

Tamir Blatt, who, according to Sacriolo, Madrid’s defenders “should never” lose contact with, created the space for the game-winning shot. Scariolo explained, “We had the rebound in our hands, we lost it and then we made a mistake on the out of bounds... little details.”

Despite the defeat, Scariolo said that he sees clear signs of progress, stressing, “I think we are definitely getting better. But still not enough to win again on the road. Let's learn from mistakes. Let's build over the good things we have done and move on to the next game.”

Campazzo echoed his coach’s sentiments, highlighting the fluctuations in momentum throughout the game. “We had a lot of ups and downs...both teams had chances to win it,” the playmaker said, emphasizing that errors by Madrid played a part in the narrow loss. “We’ll keep working through these losses, staying more united than ever, and focusing on the next one.”

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="es" dir="ltr">💬 <a href="https://twitter.com/sergioscariolo?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SergioScariolo</a>: &quot;Estamos intentando ser mejores&quot;.</p>&mdash; Real Madrid Basket (@RMBaloncesto) <a href="https://twitter.com/RMBaloncesto/status/1981112756523933930?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 22, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

While there is a great tradition of continuity at Real Madrid, half of the 12 players who dressed for this game joined the team over the summer, as did Scariolo, though this is not his first stint with the club. Moreover, three more holdovers - Sergio Llull, Andres Feliz and Bruno Fernando - missed the game due to injury.

A two-time champion, Campazzo has had a slow start to the campaign as he adjusts to a new coach and many new teammates. This was his best individual performance of the season so far with 14 points on 3-of-5 three-point shooting plus 5 assists. He made it clear that he feels Madrid is moving in the right direction.

Asked what the team must to do to get over the hump, Campazzo answered: “Keep building, keep believing in this process... It takes time. You have to be patient... We’ll take this feeling and use it as motivation to keep improving as a team.”

No team can be happy to lose a game like this one, but with leaders like Scariolo on the bench and Campazzo at the point, Real Madrid will make sure that the details that cost them dearly will serve as valuable lessons as the team continued to grow.

Coach Scariolo and Facu Campazzo shared positive messages after the game

Maccabi Rapyd Tel Aviv v Real Madrid (2025-10-22T18:05:00.000Z)

Maccabi Rapyd Tel Aviv claimed a dramatic 92-91 victory over Real Madrid on Wednesday at Aleksandar Nikolic Hall in Belgrade, Serbia.

Walker’s record night and Blatt’s big shot pushed ‘lucky’ Maccabi past Madrid

"I can talk a lot about effort and character, but you also need a bit of luck in the end."

That statement from [Maccabi Rapyd Tel Aviv](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/maccabi-rapyd-tel-aviv/tel/) head coach Oded Kattash perfectly summed up his team's dramatic 92-91 victory over [Real Madrid](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/teams/real-madrid/mad/) on Wednesday at Aleksandar Nikolic Hall in Belgrade, Serbia.

Maccabi enjoyed a historic *effort* from [Lonnie Walker](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/lonnie-walker-iv/013403/). [Tamir Blatt](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/tamir-blatt/011193/) showed his *character* to make the game winner after missing his previous 4 three-pointers and committing a dooming foul. And Madrid's [Mario Hezonja](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/mario-hezonja/003108/) was *unlucky* to fall out of bounds on the play before Blatt's shot, which gave Maccabi a second chance that it would not waste.

Walker scored a career-high 27 points to lead the winners, while [Roman Sorkin](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/roman-sorkin/011219/) netted 21. [Oshae Brissett](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/o-shae-j-brissett/014127/) was good for 18 and Blatt combined 12 points with 9 assists. Hezonja posted 24 points and 9 rebounds in defeat.

Every quarter was seemingly a story unto itself. In the first, [Usman Garuba](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/usman-garuba/007630/), who had scored a combined 5 points all season to that point, netted 7 off the bench and Madrid scored the last 8 points of the quarter to lead 17-27 after 10 minutes. *Los Blancos* had 10 assists to Maccabi's 1 and seemed to be in control.

<center>
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### Lonnie Walker's historic 10 minutes

The second quarter was all about Walker. The shooting guard erupted for 20 points – and in doing so became just the 11th player in EuroLeague history to score that many points in a single quarter. It was also the most points ever scored by any player in the second quarter of a game and the most of any Maccabi player in any quarter.

Walker made 4 three-pointers in the period, including one at the halftime buzzer. He also drew a foul shooting a three-pointer and made all of the resulting free throws, converted a traditional three-point play, and took a steal for a slam. With Walker dominating, Maccabi outscored Madrid 40-21 in the second frame to take a 9-point lead into the break.

Hezonja came alive in the third quarter to rally Madrid to within 74-76. He scored 9 points in the period, though it was [Theo Maledon](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/theo-maledon/007027/) who shined with 7 in a 0-9 run to end the third.

When Garuba tied things with the first basket of the fourth quarter, it seemed that the wind was fully in Madrid's sails. Instead, Sorkin came to the fore with a pair of baskets in an 8-1 Maccabi run. Less than a week after coughing up a late lead against Olympiacos Piraeus, Maccabi again started to fade late.

<center>
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### Tamir Blatt goes from zero to hero

Blatt missed a three and then [Trey Lyles](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/trey-lyles/014117/) tied the score from the line, 89-89, with 1:05 remaining. Then Walker missed a tough shot. Maccabi played good defense on the other end and forced a miss, but Blatt was called for a foul while boxing out [Facu Campazzo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/facundo-campazzo/005928/). The Argentinian playmaker made 2 from the line to give Madrid its first lead of the second half with 25.7 seconds remaining.

Walker pulled up early on the ensuing possession and missed, but Hezonja fell out of bounds after taking the rebound, giving Maccabi new life. This time, Blatt pulled up for a deep three with 4.3 seconds to go that would prove to be the game-winner, but only after Hezonja missed a very makeable shot on the final possession.

So remember Kattash's words about effort, character and luck. Maccabi checked all three boxes.

Thrilled with the victory, Walker was quick to point out after the game that he and his team still have plenty to work on.

"I know I've got to play better. I missed a couple of free throws," Walker said in starting his post-game interview. "But the overall game effort from not just myself, but from my team, I think we capitalized and we did a good job when we bounced back from our last game where we were up by 13 with 3 minutes left. We capitalized this time, so this is growth and we've still got room for improvement, so I'm really, really happy with today."

Kattash was quick to credit Walker not just for his second quarter, but for how he handled himself in the second half, when he only scored 4 points.

<center>
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"Lonnie definitely gave an exceptional \[second\] quarter," Kattash said in the post-game press conference. "In the second half, he faced an athletic, aggressive team with good defenders, obviously trying to take the ball out of his hands, but he was no less responsible for many points we made through the defense guarding him. I think players got many easier shots because of the focus on him, so we took what he could give and credit to him that he made sure to put the players in good positions."

### Roman Sorkin stands tall in the paint

One of those players in good position was Sorkin. Despite matching up at times against [Walter Tavares](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/walter-tavares/005791/), the EuroLeague's all-time leader in blocks, Sorkin found good shots and made them. He showed his confidence early by attacking Tavares at the basket and drawing a foul. Sorkin shot 9 for 11 on two-pointers for the game.

Another was Brissett, who also played tough defense and was the finisher on a couple of fast-break buckets.

However, to sum up a game that saw two talented teams tied after 39 minutes, Kattash had the right words in the end: "I think Tamir with an amazing three-pointer and Hezonja with an uncharacteristic miss, that is the centimeter of luck you sometimes need."

In a game that was tied after 39 minutes, Maccabi got just what it needed to win

Walker’s record night and Blatt’s big shot pushed 'lucky' Maccabi past Madrid

Dubai Basketball has announced the signing of Boogie Ellis, who has penned a deal until the end of the 2026-27 season.

Dubai seals move for Boogie Ellis

[Dubai Basketball](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/dubai-basketball/dub/) has announced the signing of [Boogie Ellis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/rejean-ellis/014157/), who has penned a deal until the end of the 2026-27 season.

Ellis (1.90 meters, 24 years old) joins the club from ALBA Berlin, where he averaged 22.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.5 steals in two Basketball Champions League games, as well as 13.3 points, 2.0 rebounds and 3.3 assists in three German League appearances.

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Welcome home, Boogie🖤🤎🤍 <a href="https://t.co/NRc0fFBeHr">pic.twitter.com/NRc0fFBeHr</a></p>&mdash; Dubai Basketball (@dubaibasket) <a href="https://twitter.com/dubaibasket/status/1981020419290239000?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 22, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

This season is Ellis's first in Europe, having spent the 2024-25 campaign in the G League with the Stockton Kings and Indiana Mad Ants. The American guard previously suited up for the University of Memphis (2019-21) and University of Southern California (2021-24) before going pro.

More Dubai Basketball News

The guard had been making waves with ALBA Berlin this season

Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz has confirmed that a mutual agreement has been reached to terminate the contract of Luka Samanic due to personal reasons.

Luka Samanic leaves Baskonia

[Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/baskonia-vitoria-gasteiz/bas/) has confirmed that a mutual agreement has been reached to terminate the contract of [Luka Samanic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/luka-samanic/007579/) due to personal reasons.

Samanic, 25, joined Baskonia at the end of December 2024 and made 20 EuroLeague appearances for the club. He played in all five of Baskonia's games to start this season, averaging 7.0 points and 2.6 rebounds.

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="ro" dir="ltr">Comunicado oficial: Luka Šamanić <a href="https://t.co/GZ3KEuPZlW">https://t.co/GZ3KEuPZlW</a> <a href="https://t.co/a8LrIr1VBr">pic.twitter.com/a8LrIr1VBr</a></p>&mdash; Baskonia (@Baskonia) <a href="https://twitter.com/Baskonia/status/1980908247956746341?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 22, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

"Luka Samanic will no longer be part of the Baskonia roster after reaching a mutual agreement to terminate his contract due to personal reasons," read Baskonia's statement on Wednesday.

"The club thanks him for his commitment and professionalism during his time in Vitoria-Gasteiz and wishes him every success in his personal and professional future."

More Baskonia News

The Croatian forward has parted ways with the Spanish club

EA7 Emporio Armani Milan has confirmed that it has mutually agreed to terminate the contract of Vlatko Cancar.

Vlatko Cancar, Milan part ways

[EA7 Emporio Armani Milan](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/ea7-emporio-armani-milan/mil/) has confirmed that it has mutually agreed to terminate the contract of [Vlatko Cancar](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/vlatko-cancar/005379/).

The 28-year-old, who joined Milan during the off-season, featured in two EuroLeague games for the club this season, which came in Rounds 1 and 2. However, he missed the last three rounds due to a knee issue.

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="it" dir="ltr">L’Olimpia e Cancar rescindono: “A presto, in campo”<br><br>🇮🇹 La Pallacanestro Olimpia Milano comunica che il club e Vlatko Cancar hanno deciso di comune accordo di rescindere il contratto in corso. L&#39;Olimpia desidera ringraziare Cancar per il comportamento esemplare, la… <a href="https://t.co/L1kwYw64ho">pic.twitter.com/L1kwYw64ho</a></p>&mdash; Olimpia Milano (@OlimpiaMI1936) <a href="https://twitter.com/OlimpiaMI1936/status/1980926464296972357?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 22, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

"Olimpia Milano and Vlatko Cancar have mutually agreed to terminate his current contract," read Milan's statement. "Olimpia wishes to thank Cancar for his exemplary behavior, professionalism, and commitment during these weeks spent together, hoping to see him back on the court as soon as possible, fully recovered."

More Milan News

The Slovenian forward made just two appearances for the club