Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens secured a dominant 90-67 road win over Kolossos H Hotels in Rhodes on Sunday behind 18 points and 5 assists from TJ Shorts

Panathinaikos cruises past Kolossos in Rhodes

Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens secured a dominant 90-67 road win over Kolossos H Hotels in Rhodes on Sunday behind 18 points and 5 assists from TJ Shorts. Omer Yurtseven posted 13 points and 9 rebounds, and Nikos Rogkavopoulos and Konstantinos Mitoglou added 12 points apiece as Panathinaikos improved to 2-1. Starting center Richaun Holmes played only a minute and a half before leaving with an apparent injury. Gabriel Galvanini led Kolossos with 13 points.

<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/TjShorts5?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TjShorts5</a> keeps delivering game after game and this time, he claimed his first MVP performance! 💪🏾☘️<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WeTheGreens?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WeTheGreens</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/paobcaktor?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#paobcaktor</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Club1908?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Club1908</a> <a href="https://t.co/PTCykxUW3o">pic.twitter.com/PTCykxUW3o</a></p>&mdash; Panathinaikos BC (@Paobcgr) <a href="https://twitter.com/Paobcgr/status/1979940218493915612?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 19, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Panathinaikos built momentum through key baskets from Kendrick Nunn and Shorts, with the latter helping extend the lead to 5–10. Marius Grigonis and Mitoglou added to the tally, while Yurtseven and Rogkavopoulos pushed the margin to double digits. Rogkavopoulos capped the quarter with a buzzer-beating triple, giving Panathinaikos a 15–28 lead after 10 minutes. Ergin Ataman’s squad continued to pull away in the second quarter and led 36–49 at halftime.

Panathinaikos kept the pressure on in the third quarter, starting with a dunk from Mitoglou and a three-pointer from Yurtseven. Mitoglou and Jerian Grant extended the lead. Kolossos fought back to remain within 12 through three quarters. The fourth quarter saw Panathinaikos seal the win with strong play from Mitoglou, Yurtseven, and Shorts. A highlight dunk from Giannis Kouzeloglou off a Shorts assist pushed the lead to 16, and Shorts’ first three-pointer of the night made it 59-80 en route to a convincing victory.

More from Panathinaikos

TJ Shorts had another strong performance for the Greens

Maccabi Rapyd Tel Aviv returned to Israeli League play on Sunday night and eased the pressure from its EuroLeague losing streak with a convincing 95-75 home win over newly promoted Maccabi Ra’anana

Blatt, Leaf lead Maccabi to domestic win

Maccabi Rapyd Tel Aviv returned to Israeli League play on Sunday night and eased the pressure from its EuroLeague losing streak with a convincing 95-75 home win over newly promoted Maccabi Ra’anana. Oded Kattash’s team improved to 2–0 domestically behind a strong offensive display led by Tamir Blatt, who scored 19 points and orchestrated the attack.

T.J. Leaf tallied 17 points and 10 rebounds, Marcio Santos added 15 and 7, Roman Sorkin contributed 12 points and Jeff Dowtin Jr. added 8 points and 7 assists. Hassan Diarra led Ra’anana with 18 points and 5 steals.

<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="iw" dir="rtl">אין כמו בבית. <br>סיקור וסטטיסטיקה &gt;&gt; <a href="https://t.co/qhGxCEnbql">https://t.co/qhGxCEnbql</a> <a href="https://t.co/rGvmRVE7LZ">pic.twitter.com/rGvmRVE7LZ</a></p>&mdash; Maccabi Tel Aviv BC (@MaccabiTLVBC) <a href="https://twitter.com/MaccabiTLVBC/status/1979950169572450401?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 19, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

The opening quarter at Menora Mivtachim Arena was competitive, as Diarra shined for Ra’anana while Blatt and Leaf led the home side. Late baskets from Santos helped Maccabi take a 24-18 lead after 10 minutes. Ra’anana briefly rallied early in the second frame, but a Maccabi run capped by Sorkin’s free throws extended the gap to double digits. Despite numerous turnovers on both sides, Maccabi maintained momentum thanks to Blatt’s three-point shooting, going into halftime up 46–36.

Ra’anana opened the second half with energy and strung together a 17–0 run to grab the lead. Sorkin and Leaf restored order and Lonnie Walker’s corner three helped the hosts enter the fourth quarter ahead 64-59. In the closing period, Ra’anana ran out of steam. Blatt ran the show and, with Santos dominating inside, Maccabi pulled away for good.

More from Maccabi

The club is now 2-0 in the Israeli league

Baskonia, Barca and Real collected respective wins 

Valencia Basket is one of three undefeated teams left in the Spanish Liga Endesa. It improved to 3-0 by thrashing Hiopos Llieda 78-99 on the road on Sunday behind 16 points from Jaime Pradilla. Darius Thompson and Kam Tayloe each added 14 while Brancou Badio had 13 for Valencia, that led 41-49 at halftime. Pradilla had 12 points, including three bombs from downtown, soon after the break to boost his team's lead to 57-73, and Valencia never looked back after that. 


Spanish League roundup: Valencia remains undefeated

Valencia Basket remains one of three undefeated teams in the Spanish Liga Endesa, improving to 3-0 after a commanding 78-99 road win over Hiopos Lleida on Sunday. Jaime Pradilla led the charge with 16 points, while Darius Thompson and Kam Taylor each contributed 14. Brancou Badio added 13 for Valencia, which held a 41-49 lead at halftime. Pradilla scored 12 points—including three three-pointers—shortly after the break, extending the lead to 57-73. From there, Valencia never looked back.

<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="es" dir="ltr">Valencia Basket sigue invicto en la <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LigaEndesa?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LigaEndesa</a> tras vencer a Hiopos Lleida en Barris Nord.<br><br>7⃣8⃣ <a href="https://twitter.com/flleida?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@flleida</a> <br>9⃣9⃣ <a href="https://twitter.com/valenciabasket?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@valenciabasket</a> <a href="https://t.co/89cgGdsSk1">pic.twitter.com/89cgGdsSk1</a></p>&mdash; Liga Endesa (@ACBCOM) <a href="https://twitter.com/ACBCOM/status/1979955090048848040?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 19, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></center>

FC Barcelona secured its first win of the season by defeating Unicaja Malaga 77-83, also on Sunday. Toko Shengelia led the team with 18 points, while Kevin Punter scored 5 of his 17 points in the closing minutes to seal the victory. Juani Marcos and Will Clyburn each added 11 for Barça.

Real Madrid matched a Spanish League record with its 33rd consecutive home win, beating Recoletas Salud San Pablo Burgos 90-80 in the capital. Mario Hezonja led the way with 17 points, David Kramer added 11, and both Usman Garuba and Gabriele Procida chipped in 10.

<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="es" dir="ltr">Real Madrid consigue un trabajado triunfo ante Recoletas Salud San Pablo Burgos.<br><br>9⃣0⃣ <a href="https://twitter.com/RMBaloncesto?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RMBaloncesto</a> <br>8⃣0⃣ <a href="https://twitter.com/SanPabloBurgos?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SanPabloBurgos</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LigaEndesa?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LigaEndesa</a> <a href="https://t.co/pKUVWhfxhE">pic.twitter.com/pKUVWhfxhE</a></p>&mdash; Liga Endesa (@ACBCOM) <a href="https://twitter.com/ACBCOM/status/1979885533187932567?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 19, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></center>

Despite being limited to just 10 available players due to injuries, Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz edged Coviran Granada 80-83. Mamadi Diakite scored 16 points, Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot added 15, and Matteo Spagnolo had 14 for Baskonia, which trailed 80-79 in the penultimate minute. Spagnolo responded with a fastbreak layup, Luwawu-Cabarrot sank clutch free throws, and Matt Thomas missed a potential game-tying three-pointer at the buzzer.

Both Real Madrid and Baskonia now hold 2-1 records in the standings.

Baskonia, Barca and Real collected respective wins 

EuroLeague top photos of the week

Look back at all the action from Rounds 4 and 5 of the regular season by checking out the best photos of the week! 

Top 10 photos of the week: Rounds 4 and 5

Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz has announced the signing of Kobi Simmons, who has penned a two-month contract that includes an option to extend it until the end of the 2025-26 season.

Baskonia signs Kobi Simmons on initial two-month contract

[Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/baskonia-vitoria-gasteiz/bas/) has announced the signing of Kobi Simmons, who has penned a two-month contract that includes an option to extend it until the end of the 2025-26 season.

Simmons (1.96 meters, 28 years old) joins Baskonia at a time when the team is dealing with an injury crisis in its backcourt, with [Trent Forrest and Markus Howard both sidelined](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/baskonia-trent-forrest-markus-howard-sidelined-for-several-weeks/) for several weeks.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="es" dir="ltr">✍️ Kobi Simmons refuerza el puesto de base de Baskonia<br><br>📰<a href="https://t.co/DRUuAlV1W9">https://t.co/DRUuAlV1W9</a><br><br>El jugador estadounidense se une a las filas baskonistas con un contrato de dos meses y llegará en los próximos días a Vitoria-Gasteiz. Ongi etorri, Kobi! <a href="https://t.co/C4JcR9Fzhx">pic.twitter.com/C4JcR9Fzhx</a></p>&mdash; Baskonia (@Baskonia) <a href="https://twitter.com/Baskonia/status/1979505071911006236?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 18, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

The American guard last played for the Zhejiang Golden Bulls in the Chinese League, averaging 15.4 points, 5.1 assists and 3.4 rebounds last season. Simmons has made 42 appearances in the NBA during his career, playing 32 times for the Memphis Grizzlies in 2017-18, the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2018-19, the Charlotte Hornets in 2022-23, and the Toronto Raptors in 2023-24. His career averages in the NBA stand at 5.3 points, 1.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists.

More Baskonia News

His arrival comes after the injuries suffered to Trent Forrest and Markus Howard

Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul has announced that Arturs Zagars suffered a hamstring injury during the team's Round 5 win against FC Bayern Munich on Thursday night.

Fenerbahce: Arturs Zagars dealing with hamstring issue

[Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/fenerbahce-beko-istanbul/ulk/) has announced that [Arturs Zagars](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/arturs-zagars/008104/) suffered a hamstring injury during the team's [Round 5 win against FC Bayern Munich](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/fenerbahce-bounces-back-with-big-win-over-bayern-to-get-on-track/) on Thursday night.

The 25-year-old underwent examinations at Medicana Atasehir Hospital and it was confirmed that a second-degree injury was detected in his right hamstring muscle. As confirmed by Fenerbahce, Zagars has already begun his treatment. 

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="tr" dir="ltr">Arturs Zagars’ın sağlık durumu hakkında bilgilendirme<br><br>Oyuncumuz Arturs Zagars, 16 Ekim Perşembe günü oynanan Bayern Münih karşılaşmasında hamstring bölgesinden sakatlık yaşamıştır.<br><br>Sporcumuzun Medicana Ataşehir Hastanesi’nde yapılan kontrollerinin ardından sağ hamstring kasında… <a href="https://t.co/LncIfKttA9">pic.twitter.com/LncIfKttA9</a></p>&mdash; Fenerbahçe Beko (@FBBasketbol) <a href="https://twitter.com/FBBasketbol/status/1979566963908026725?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 18, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

The Latvian point guard has made two EuroLeague appearances for Fenerbahce so far this season, having appeared in Rounds 4 and 5. In those two games, he averaged 7.5 points and 2.5 assists.

More Fenerbahce News

A massive individual performance in a dramatic comeback win has earned Sasha Vezenkov of Olympiacos Piraeus the MVP honor for Round 5 of the 2025-26 EuroLeague Regular Season.

Round 5 MVP: Sasha Vezenkov, Olympiacos Piraeus

A massive individual performance in a dramatic comeback win has earned [Sasha Vezenkov](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/sasha-vezenkov/003469/) of [Olympiacos Piraeus](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/olympiacos-piraeus/oly/) the MVP honor for Round 5 of the 2025-26 EuroLeague Regular Season.

Vezenkov led Olympiacos to a stunning [94-95 road victory over Maccabi Rapyd Tel Aviv](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/sasha-vezenkov-olympiacos-stole-victory-from-maccabi/), helping his team erase a 12-point deficit in the final four minutes. The 30-year-old forward finished with 23 points, making 6-of-7 two-pointers, 2-of-5 three-pointers and all 5 of his free throws. He added 10 rebounds, 2 assists and drew 2 fouls for a performance index rating (PIR) of 31 – the highest in Round 5.

This marks Vezenkov’s second MVP of the Round award this season, making him the first player to achieve the feat in 2025-26. He also ties Nando De Colo of LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne for the second-most MVP honors all-time with 16, trailing only Shane Larkin of Anadolu Efes Istanbul, who has 19.

Two other players came close to the top PIR of the round. [Nikola Milutinov](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/nikola-milutinov/003941/), also of Olympiacos, and [Cedi Osman](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/cedi-osman/004088/) of Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens each recorded a PIR of 30. Milutinov tallied 23 points on 8-of-9 shooting inside the arc and 7-of-8 from the line, along with 5 rebounds and 8 fouls drawn. Osman led Panathinaikos to an 81-95 road win over Efes with a career-high 29 points on 3-of-4 two-pointers, 6-of-10 threes and 5-of-6 free throws, adding 5 rebounds and 5 fouls drawn.

Rounding out the top individual performances of Round 5 were [Dan Oturu](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/dan-oturu/012788/) of Hapoel IBI Tel Aviv (PIR 29), and three players who each recorded a PIR of 28: [Arnas Butkevicius](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/arnas-butkevicius/002676/) of Zalgiris Kaunas, [Carsen Edwards](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/carsen-edwards/011987/) of Virtus Segafredo Bologna and [Filip Petrusev](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/filip-petrusev/011194/) of Dubai Basketball. Oturu contributed 18 points, 9 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal and 2 blocks in Hapoel’s narrow 88-89 road win over Paris Basketball. Butkevicius tallied 20 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist and 3 steals in Zalgiris’s 78-89 loss to EA7 Emporio Armani Milan. Edwards exploded for a career-high 36 points, adding 1 rebound, 1 assist and 1 steal in Virtus’s 83-90 victory at LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne. Petrusev delivered 23 points, 8 rebounds and 1 block to lead Dubai past FC Barcelona, 83-78.

### Individual highs: Carsen Edwards, Virtus, 36 points

Carsen Edwards of Virtus led all scorers in Round 5 with 36 points. That ties the season-high mark originally set by Wade Baldwin of Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul. Edwards is now among the top scorers in the competition, while Nadir Hifi of Paris remains the EuroLeague’s overall leader with 23.2 points per game.

Mfiondu Kabengele of Dubai pulled down a round-high 13 rebounds in Round 5. Despite that, Vezenkov retains the top spot on the season leaderboard, averaging 10.0 boards per game.

Kostas Sloukas of Panathinaikos dished a Round 5-best 12 assists. Sylvain Francisco of Zalgiris remains the EuroLeague assists leader at 6.6 per game.

Nikola Mirotic of AS Monaco collected 4 steals, the most by any player in Round 5. Hifi remains first in steals across the season, averaging 2.6 per game.

Khalifa Diop of Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz led all players with 3 blocks in Round 5. Walter Tavares of Real Madrid continues to lead the league in blocks with 1.8 per night.

Six players registered double-doubles in Round 5: Kabengele (10 points, 13 rebounds), Vezenkov (23 points, 10 rebounds), Partizan’s Carlik Jones (18 points, 10 assists), Valencia’s Nate Reuvers (10 points, 10 rebounds), Paris’s Momo Faye (11 points, 10 rebounds), and Maccabi’s Jaylen Hoard (12 points, 10 rebounds).

Maccabi Rapyd Tel Aviv v Olympiacos Piraeus (2025-10-16T19:00:00.000Z)

Anadolu Efes Istanbul has confirmed that Ercan Osmani and Georgios Papagiannis will both spend time on the sidelines after sustaining injuries in the team's Round 5 defeat to Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens on Friday night.

Efes: Ercan Osmani out three weeks, Georgios Papagiannis to miss eight months

[Anadolu Efes Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/anadolu-efes-istanbul/ist/) has confirmed that [Ercan Osmani](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/ercan-osmani/012710/) and [Georgios Papagiannis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/georgios-papagiannis/005844/) will both spend time on the sidelines after sustaining injuries in the team's [Round 5 defeat to Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/career-best-osman-vintage-sloukas-lead-panathinaikos-over-efes/) on Friday night.

In the case of Osmani, he injured his left shoulder and is expected to be out for approximately three weeks.

Papagiannis's injury is more severe, however, as he injured his ACL. He will undergo surgery 'in the near future' and is projected to miss the next eight months. 

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="tr" dir="ltr">Panathinaikos Aktor’u ağırladığımız karşılaşmada sol omzunda zedelenme meydana gelen Ercan Osmani’nin tedavisine başlanırken, oyuncumuzun yaklaşık 3 hafta sahalardan uzak kalması beklenmekte.<br><br>Kısa süre içerisinde sol dizindeki ön çapraz bağ yaralanması için ameliyatı… <a href="https://t.co/FW6SOCKSkq">pic.twitter.com/FW6SOCKSkq</a></p>&mdash; Anadolu Efes SK (@AnadoluEfesSK) <a href="https://twitter.com/AnadoluEfesSK/status/1979474190462746806?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 18, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

They join injured center [Vincent Poirier](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/vincent-poirier/004887/) on the treatment table, with [the Frenchman having had knee surgery](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/efes-timetable-for-poiriers-return-set-at-4-6-months/) in late August. At the time, Efes declared that Poirier would be out for four to six months.

More Efes News

Both players suffered injuries in Round 5

EuroLeague fans, we have our fifth winner in this season's EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge! Nikola Gajic beat everyone else in Round 5 with his team KK Paca, which had a Fantasy Challenge score of 240.20.

EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge Round 5 winner

EuroLeague fans, we have our fifth winner in this season's [EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge](https://euroleaguefantasy.euroleaguebasketball.net/)! Nikola Gajic beat everyone else in Round 5 with his team KK Paca, which had a Fantasy Challenge score of 240.20.

Nikola had the following lineup: Virtus Segafredo Bologna's Carsen Edwards as team captain, then Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul's Wade Baldwin, Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens's Cedi Osman, Olympiacos Piraeus's Sasha Vezenkov and Hapoel IBI Tel Aviv's Dan Oturu as his starters. Zalgiris Kaunas's Arnas Butkevicius was his sixth man. Nikola's bench players were AS Monaco's Matthew Strazel, LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne's Edwin Jackson, Virtus's Daniel Hackett, and FC Bayern Munich's Leon Kratzer. Fenerbahce play-caller Sarunas Jasikevicius was Nikola's head coach.

The prize for finishing first in Round 5 is a VIP EuroLeague TV Subscription for the 2026-27 Season, and an automatic entry to a lottery to win two tickets to the 2027 Final Four.

Trades are now open for Round 6 of the [EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge](https://euroleaguefantasy.euroleaguebasketball.net/). There are unlimited trades this week, so if you haven't made the start you had envisaged, you have a chance to reset your roster!

The first game of Round 6, Maccabi Rapyd Tel Aviv vs. Real Madrid, is scheduled to tip off on Wednesday, October 22 at 20:05 CEST. This marks the next round's deadline.

Make new teams now or improve your existing ones and try to become our next round winner! To help with that, watch the EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge podcast weekly on the [EuroLeague's YouTube channel](https://www.youtube.com/@euroleague) and on all audio platforms.

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