Baskonia is the eighth and final name in the EuroLeague Playoffs after beating Virtus Bologna 89-77 in the second round of the Play-In Showdown.

Game Center: Baskonia downs Virtus 89-77 to reach the playoffs!

Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz is the eighth and final name in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Playoffs after beating Virtus Segafredo Bologna 89-77 in the second round of the Play-In Showdown. 

In ending a five-year wait to make the playoffs, star guard [Markus Howard](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/markus-howard/011948/) had a game-high 28 points, with [Matt Costello](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/matthew-costello/010444/) adding 19 and [Tadas Sedekerskis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/tadas-sedekerskis/007230/) chipping in with 16. Virtus's leading scorer was [Toko Shengelia](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/tornike-shengelia/001133/), who netted 16. [Daniel Hackett](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/daniel-hackett/001844/) finished with 13 points, while [Isaia Cordinier](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/isaia-cordinier/009549/), [Iffe Lundberg](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/iffe-lundberg/010781/) and [Marco Belinelli](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/marco-belinelli/bcn/) all had 10.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="es" dir="ltr">🔵🔴 VICTORIA Y BILLETE PARA EL PLAYOFF 🔵🔴<br><br>¡VAMOOOOOOS! 🔝🔝🔝<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GoazenBaskonia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GoazenBaskonia</a> <a href="https://t.co/OYjKSfgx55">pic.twitter.com/OYjKSfgx55</a></p>&mdash; Baskonia (@Baskonia) <a href="https://twitter.com/Baskonia/status/1781419096887738569?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 19, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Baskonia won't have long to bathe in the success of this win, however, as its [playoff series](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/game-center/?round=41&season=E2023) against first-placed Real Madrid gets underway on Tuesday, April 23, with Games 1 and 2 taking place at WiZink Center. The series will head to Vitoria-Gasteiz for Game 3 on May 1.

See [full Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Playoffs calendar](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/game-center/?round=41&season=E2023).

Baskonia star Markus Howard comments on his team's Play-In Showdown win over Virtus which came with a spot in the playoffs.

Markus Howard: 'We're fortunate, but we're not satistfied'

Game News

The two face off at Buesa Arena tonight in the final play-in game

Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz v Virtus Segafredo Bologna (2024-04-18T22:00:00.000Z)

Check out the predictions by EuroLeague.net staff members for the Play-In Showdown finale Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz and Virtus Segafredo Bologna on Friday.

Postseason predictions: Baskonia vs. Virtus

### Virtus will spring another ambush

#### *by Geoff Gillingham*

For the first time in a long time, Virtus is coming off a game in which it played the type of basketball that wowed fans across the continent during the first half of the season. On the road at red-hot Anadolu Efes Istanbul, the odds were stacked against Virtus, which had lost seven straight before Tuesday. Nonetheless, several of its veterans – namely Toko Shengelia, Marco Belinelli, Awudu Abass and Achille Polonara – came to the fore in a must-win clash in which Efes was held to just 64 points, its second-lowest tally this year. There was also a magnificent performance by Iffe Lundberg, who capped a fine display by hitting a dagger three-pointer to put the win on ice. I think Virtus will find a way to frustrate Baskonia and grab another win to set up a playoff series against Real Madrid in the 1-8 matchup. My pick: Virtus.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="it" dir="ltr">Definizione di 𝒔𝒒𝒖𝒂𝒅𝒓𝒂: 💭<br><br>Buongiorno Virtussini 🤗<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AmarsiAncora?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AmarsiAncora</a> <a href="https://t.co/vXEpqcJkxh">pic.twitter.com/vXEpqcJkxh</a></p>&mdash; Virtus Segafredo Bologna (@VirtusSegafredo) <a href="https://twitter.com/VirtusSegafredo/status/1780508882219028497?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 17, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

### No Moneke, no problem for Baskonia 

#### *by Javier Gancedo*

Things are not looking good for Baskonia right now. Suffering a clear loss against Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv and [losing star forward Chima Moneke to injury](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/baskonia-chima-moneke-out-vs-virtus/) are not the best news to deal with. Baskonia plays at home, in front of what will be a great crowd at Buesa Arena, and its trademark character will come out in this do-or-die game. Markus Howard, the EuroLeague's top scorer, strung together a lot of impressive performances before the game against Maccabi and should bounce back to his best level. He had 34 points against Virtus in a critical game barely a week ago. Matt Costello is used to playing at the power forward position, as is Tadas Sedekerkis, so despite losing Moneke, Baskonia has a lot of defensive weapons to use against Toko Shengelia. Long story short, home-court advantage and physicality should take Baskonia to the playoffs. My pick: Baskonia. 

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="es" dir="ltr">¡BASKONISTAS! 🔵🔴 Mañana es el día 🙌🙌<br><br>🚪19:30h: Apertura de puestas<br>🎙️ 20:23: Presentación de equipos<br>📲 20:25: Móviles preparados para iluminar el Buesa<br> 🤲 20:28: Palmeo<br>🏀 20:30: Comienzo del partido<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GoazenBaskonia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GoazenBaskonia</a> 🎟️ <a href="https://t.co/ysjbjyemHP">https://t.co/ysjbjyemHP</a> <a href="https://t.co/uMczL5HJ7w">pic.twitter.com/uMczL5HJ7w</a></p>&mdash; Baskonia (@Baskonia) <a href="https://twitter.com/Baskonia/status/1781042010981568821?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 18, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

### Virtus will disappoint Buesa Arena fans

#### *by Igor Petrinovic*

These two teams spit road victories this season, with Baskonia rallying to beat Virtus in Bologna just a week ago in the regular season finale. That victory earned Baskonia the right to host this game. But Virtus, somehow, manage to rise from the ashes on Tuesday and upset Anadolu Efes Istanbul at Sinan Erdem Dome, setting up a re-match. Virtus's veterans stepped up against Efes, and the team played inspired defense like it hasn't done in weeks, containing Shane Larkin in the first half and Will Clyburn in the second. I saw Virtus control the game against Baskonia a week ago for nearly three quarters before squandering all the good they had done in the final stages of the game. I say a more-confident Virtus rides its momentum from Tuesday, plays smarter and more poised in the second half, and gets a win at Buesa Arena to earn a playoff ticket. My pick: Virtus.

### Baskonia by a whisker

#### *by Frank Lawlor*

We are in uncharted territory with the second win-or-go-home game in four days in the new Play-In Showdown. Virtus won the first one by turning out the lights on Efes and its crowd of 18,000 on Tuesday. I don't think that will be the case against Baskonia, a team that put up 95 points in Bologna a week ago in a game that both teams were desperate to win. Baskonia earned the right to host this second-chance play-in game, and despite Chima Moneke's absence, I think the hosts will use it. They have some dilemmas to solve, but the key will be game pace. If Baskonia can simply defend and rebound, [new playoffs record-holder Codi Miller-McIntyre](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/codi-miller-mcintyres-historic-silver-lining-for-baskonia/) and top-ranked scorer Markus Howard, who dropped 34 on Virtus last week, will have room to do their magic. Baskonia on the move is a hard team to handle, even for top defenders like Daniel Hackett, Alejandro Pajola and Awudu Abass. Tough call, but I believe that Baskonia will show its famous character again. My pick, Baskonia.  

Codi Miller-Mcintyre (32 points) Highlights vs. Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv, 04/16/2024

Codi Miller-McIntyre's historic silver lining for Baskonia

### Virtus will ride the wave all the way to Madrid

#### *by Frankie Sacks* 

Momentum can be a fickle thing. But in sports, when you have it, it can be wicked good. Just a few days ago, it seemed that Efes and Baskonia had the wind at their backs, while Virtus was falling out of relevance. What a difference one night can make! Now, Efes is watching from home, Virtus is flying high after winning in Istanbul, and Baskonia's outlook has completely changed. Not only did Baskonia lose to Maccabi, but star forward Chima Moneke was injured and is not expected to play on Friday. Has the tide turned in Virtus's favor? I say yes. Look for Toko Shengelia and Marco Belinelli to lead the way as Virtus roars into the playoffs. My pick: Virtus.

Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz v Virtus Segafredo Bologna (2024-04-19T18:30:00.000Z)

Two historic clubs meet again to revive a postseason rivalry with unmatched pedigree.

Breakdown: Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens vs. Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv

Two of the winningest teams in continental basketball history go against each other with a chance to return to the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four for the first time in a very long time. [Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/panathinaikos-bc-athens/roster/pan/?season=2023-24) (23-11) won five of its six EuroLeague titles from 2002 to 2011, but has not been to the Final Four since 2012. Likewise, [Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/maccabi-playtika-tel-aviv/roster/tel/?season=2023-24) won EuroLeague titles in 2004, 2005 and 2014 and finished as runner-up in 2006, 2008 and 2011. Maccabi's last Final Four appearance was in 2014. One of the two will now break that spell and punch its ticket to Berlin.

### History lesson

It's been a long wait, 12 years, but Panathinaikos and Maccabi go at each other again in the postseason to revive what had been an electric rivalry at the very top of the stport.

Despite their long Final Four absences, these teams belong to the very elite of European basketball. All told, since 1988, both teams have combined for 23 Final Four appearances. Last century, Maccabi won its first continental crown in 1977 and another in 1981. Panathinaikos got its first two in 1996 and 2000, beating Maccabi in the championship game of the latter. In the next season's 2001 FIBA SuproLeague final, Maccabi prevailed.

Panathinaikos will head to Istanbul to try to defend its Turkish Airlines Euroleague crown at the 2012 Final Four after holding off Maccabi Electra 86-85 in a classic Game 5 in front of a packed house at OAKA.

CLASSIC GAME: Panathinaikos Athens vs Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv - Playoffs - 5th April 2012

Next, Maccabi and Panathinaikos faced off the 2002 EuroLeague Semifinals. Panathinaikos prevailed 83-75 behind 26 points from current EuroLeague Basketball president Dejan Bodiroga, and went on to win that season's title. In 2005, Maccabi topped the Greens 91-82 in the semifinals with 20 points from Derrick Sharp and ended up winning its second consecutive EuroLeague title. In 2011, Panathinaikos and Maccabi squared off in another championship game, with Dimitris Diamantidis combining 16 points and 9 assists to lead the Greens to a 70-78 win.

A year after that, in 2012, Panathinaikos and Maccabi played an unforgettable playoffs series that went down to the final play. Both teams won at home and on the road, and three of the games were decided by 3 points or less. In Game 5 in Athens, Panathinaikos edged Maccabi 86-85 on 25 points and a career-high PIR of 34 from Diamantidis.

### Peaking at the right time

This season, Panathinaikos and Maccabi are playing their best basketball when it matters most. The Greens won eight of their last nine games, including four on the road, including 86-97 at first-place Real Madrid, to finish second in the regular season standings. In those nine games, Panathinaikos shot 41.3% on three-pointers as opposed to its 36.6% rate in the previous 25 games. [Kostas Sloukas](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/kostas-sloukas/001926/) (54.3%) and [Kendrick Nunn](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/kendrick-nunn/012774/) (49.1%) led that three-point improvement over the last nine games. Sloukas had been shooting 34.1% and Nunn 32.6% from downtown until then. When their shot started falling more, Panathinaikos soared.

Kendrick Nunn and Kostas Sloukas Top Deep 3'S, 3-pointers of the Round 34, Round 33 and 5 other Season Parts

Nunn, Sloukas make it rain

Maccabi has also recorded eight wins in the last nine games, counting its Play-In Showdown romp against Baskonia-Gasteiz. During that time, Maccabi has led the competition in scoring (94.3 ppg.), two-point shots made (26.2) and assists (20.8), ranking second in rebounds (36.8) and fewest turnovers (10.6). [Wade Baldwin](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/wade-baldwin-iv/009863/) took center stage in Maccabi's current run, [earning the MVP of the Month honor for March](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/march-mvp-wade-baldwin-maccabi-playtika-tel-aviv/). Over his last nine games, Baldwin is averaging 19.3 points on 89.7% free throws shooting, 3.1 rebounds, 4.3 assists and a PIR of 21.9. With Baldwin playing at near-MVP level, Maccabi has reached 89 or more points in each of its last six games, downing Baskonia by a near-record score of 113-85 in the play-in showdown to lock up seventh place.

### The big battle in the middle

There are a lot of outstanding matchups in this series. [Jerian Grant](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/jerian-grant/011204/) is set to test his defensive skills against Baldwin; Sloukas and [Lorenzo Brown](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/lorenzo-brown/009622/) go against each other in a tactical battle to dominate the game tempo; Panathinaikos's [Juancho Hernangomez](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/juancho-hernangomez/012712/) faces a tough challenge against Maccabi's [Bonzie Colson](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/bonzie-colson/009783/). But let's face it, the biggest matchup is expected at center. Panathinaikos center [Mathias Lessort](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/mathias-lessort/003842/) is one of 18 players to wear the jerseys of both of these teams in the 21st century. Lessort was with Maccabi for five games in the 2021-22 season, averaging 7.4 points and 3.4 rebounds before joining Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade. Lessort went on to become one of the best centers in the EuroLeague, earning All-EuroLeague First Team honors last year. He is averaging 13.6 points, 6.0 rebounds and a PIR of 19.1 this season.

Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv center Josh Nebo boosted his numbers up to 15.0 points on 36 of 44 two-pointers (81.8% 2FG), 9.5 rebounds, 1.0 blocks and a PIR of 23.2 in his last 6 regular season games.

Nebo reaches the playoffs in great shape

Lessort has been using his physicality to outpower opponents, but that will not be the case with Maccabi center [Josh Nebo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/josh-nebo/011199/), who is in outstanding shape lately. Nebo has been rock-solid all season, averaging 10.9 points, a league-best 7.3 rebounds and a PIR of 16.6. Just like his team, Nebo has taken his game up a level lately, boosting his numbers to 15.0 points on 36 of 44 two-pointers (81.8% 2FG), 9.5 rebounds, 1.0 blocks and a PIR of 23.2 in his last six games of the regular season. In his only game against Panathinaikos this season, Nebo had a double-double of 14 points and 12 rebounds, limiting Lessort to 4 points and 6 rebounds. The stage is set for a great matchup in the paint: don't miss it!

Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz welcomes Virtus Segafredo Bologna for a do-or-die finale on Friday in the last game of the new Play-In Showdown phase. 

Baskonia, Virtus stage one-night battle for the final playoff spot

[Rosters](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/game-center/2023-24/baskonia-vitoria-gasteiz-virtus-segafredo-bologna/E2023/309/#roster) | [Facts](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/tae2324-play-in-c-game-facts-bas-vir/) | [Notes](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/tae2324-play-in-a-game-notes-tel-bas/) | [Quotes](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/tae2324-play-in-c-prequotes-bas-vir/) |[ TV](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/tv-listings-el/)

Virtus comes off a good-as-gold 64-67 road win against Anadolu Efes Istanbul in the first win-or-go-home challenge of the new play-in phase. That gave head coach Luca Banchi's team another make-or-break chance to reach the playoffs. Baskonia, meanwhile, fell 113-85 at Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv on Tuesday and lost star forward Chima Moneke to injury. He won't play on Friday. [Baskonia beat Virtus 91-95 just a week ago](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/live-blog-virtus-bologna-vs-baskonia/) in Bologna, but [Virtus won their first game at Buesa Arena this season](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/euroleague-live-blog-saski-baskonia-vs-virtus-bologna/) by double-digits. Baskonia has the league's top scorer in [Markus Howard](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/markus-howard/011948/), who scored 34 in that win in Bologna, and [Codi Miller-McIntyre](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/codi-miller-mcintyre/009048/), who broke the postseason PIR record with 45 despite losing at Maccabi on Tuesday. Virtus forwards [Tornike Shengelia](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/tornike-shengelia/001133/) and [Achille Polonara](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/achille-polonara/002084/) both starred for Baskonia in the past and will be comfortable as visitors. Friday night's winner will meet top-seeded Real Madrid in a best-of-five playoff series starting on Tuesday in the Spanish capital.

[Baskonia Stats](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/baskonia-vitoria-gasteiz/statistics/bas/?season=2023-24&phase=All%20phases) | [Virtus Stats](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/virtus-segafredo-bologna/statistics/vir/?season=2023-24&phase=All%20phases)

Markus Howard vs. Iffe Lundberg: Two game-changing scorers will be at the center of attention until a winner emerges on Friday.

The prize for victory is significant here as the winner will have two chances of advancing through the play-in, and host the second of those games if necessary. The backcourt features a shootout between the first and third most prolific three-point shooters in the league: Markus Howard and Marco Belinelli.

Virtus Segafredo Bologna-Baskonia Vitoria Gasteiz| Round 34 Highlights | 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague DAMMY_18837224.mp4

Baskonia may have to find a way of stopping its own former star, Toko Shengelia, who continued his stellar season with 27 points in Virtus' victory over Maccabi. Long-range fireworks could come from prolific three-point shooter Markus Howard, while Marco Belinelli is also regarded as a major deep threat.

Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz-Virtus Segafredo Bologna | Round 14 Highlights | 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz welcomes Virtus Segafredo Bologna for a do-or-die finale on Friday in the last game of the new Play-In Showdown phase. 



More fans than ever before were dazzled by the stars of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague in person this season as the competition witnessed a record number of spectators at games. The per-game average of 10,383 fans per game marks a whopping 18% increase over last season's then-record 8,748.

EuroLeague Regular Season attendance reaches new highs

#### · Average attendance rose 18% to a record 10,383

#### · More than 3 million spectators saw games in person

More fans than ever before were dazzled by the stars of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague in person this season as the competition witnessed a record number of spectators at games. The per-game average of 10,383 fans per game marks a whopping 18% increase over last season's then-record 8,748.  

Six clubs sold at least 90 percent of their available tickets this season and that number could have been even higher; Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv announced over the summer that it had sold all of its season tickets for 2023-24, but after playing before a crowd of 10,559 on opening night, it was forced to relocate all of its home games to Belgrade and play most of them without any spectators.

Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade led the league in both average attendance and fill rate at 19,916 and 99%, respectively. The other top teams in fill rate were Zalgiris Kaunas (96%), FC Bayern Munich (95%), Olympiacos Piraeus (94%), LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne (94%) and Virtus Segafredo Bologna (90%). The league-average fill rate of 82% was an increase of 2% over the previous season. 

Seven clubs averaged more than 10,000 spectators per game, leading to a total number across all games of 3,000,841, which is 300,000 more fans than the previous season! 

After Partizan, the leaders in overall ticket sales were Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade (17,842), Zalgiris Kaunas (14,773), Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens (14, 526) and Anadolu Efes Istanbul (12,165). 

It proved to be another banner year for basketball fans on the Old Continent, who made their ways to arenas all across the EuroLeague in 2023-24 like never before. 

Baskonia and Virtus Bologna go head to head on Friday night for the final spot in the EuroLeague Playoffs.

Baskonia vs. Virtus: It’s now or never for a spot in the playoffs

A lot can change in the space of a week.

Last Friday night, an inspired performance by [Markus Howard](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/markus-howard/011948/) saw [Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz defeat Virtus Segafredo Bologna 91-95](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/live-blog-virtus-bologna-vs-baskonia/) on the road in Round 34 to wrap up eighth place, with the Italian hosts dropping to 10th.

It was seen as a huge result for Baskonia as it meant the Spanish side could afford one defeat in the Play-In Showdown, compared to a do-or-die situation for Virtus.

There were jubilant scenes among the Baskonia players as they made their way back to Spain, and there was optimism that they could cause a shock result against Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv in Belgrade, Serbia.

Virtus, meanwhile, had to recover from a seventh straight defeat in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague and knew a tricky test awaited against Anadolu Efes Istanbul in Turkiye.

Then, Tuesday happened. 

Baskonia was blown away by a quick start by Maccabi during a first half in which star power forward [Chima Moneke suffered a game-ending ankle injury](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/baskonia-chima-moneke-out-vs-virtus/). After trailing 55-36 at the break, the final score was even worse: [113-85](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/maccabi-routs-baskonia-113-85-to-advance-to-playoffs/). All the confidence from Friday’s win at Virtus went down the drain.

Maccabi and Baskonia go head-to-head in Belgrade with the winner advancing directly to a playoff series with Panathinaikos. Both teams finished the regular season strong, with the hosts winning seven of its last eight, while the Spaniards Baskonia are fresh from road triumphs at Real Madrid and Virtus.

Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv-Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz | Play-In |  2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

Almost 1,000 kilometers away in Istanbul, Virtus was also on the receiving end of an early onslaught by Efes but, unlike Baskonia, it was able to weather the storm. Head coach Luca Banchi tweaked a few things and the game soon started to be played at Virtus’s pace, with the visitors down by just one point, 36-35, at halftime and two points, 50-48, after 30 minutes. Then, a fourth quarter featuring big plays on either end of the floor resulted in [Virtus pulling out a 64-67 victory](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/virtus-stuns-efes-64-67-to-keep-its-playoff-dream-alive/).

Efes hosts Virtus with both teams knowing defeat means their campaign is over. The Turks concluded the regular season in spectacular style, winning the last five, whereas in contrast, the Italin team's difficult run was extended by Baskonia to make it seven straight EuroLeague defeats.

Anadolu Efes Istanbul-Virtus Segafredo Bologna | Play-In |  2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

The picture has changed entirely, with doubts now surrounding the Moneke-less Baskonia while there is renewed confidence among everyone at Virtus. Tuesday night’s triumph at Efes was more representative of the type of performance EuroLeague fans saw from Virtus in the first half of the season, when Coach Banchi’s squad earned rave reviews and sat in the top four of the standings.

### Lessons from their regular-season matchups

As Virtus was riding the wave of a 9-4 start to the campaign, the Italian side travelled to Vitoria-Gasteiz in Round 14 and managed [to defeat Baskonia 81-91](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/euroleague-live-blog-saski-baskonia-vs-virtus-bologna/). The Spanish side had been transformed under Dusko Ivanovic, going 7-1 since his appointment to improve to 8-5, but its loss to Virtus was its first by more than one possession with the Montenegrin on the bench.

That night, [Marco Belinelli](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/marco-belinelli/bcn/) netted a career-high 27 points, while former Baskonia man [Toko Shengelia](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/tornike-shengelia/001133/) finished with 16 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal and 1 block, and [Isaia Cordinier](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/isaia-cordinier/009549/) had a similarly impactful night with 12 points, 8 rebounds and 3 assists. Those three will be expected to show up again on Friday night and silence the Baskonia fans, just like they did in mid-December.

Given the absence of Moneke, Baskonia will likely turn to its guard duo of Howard and [Codi Miller-McIntyre](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/codi-miller-mcintyre/009048/) as it attempts to set up a playoff series against domestic rival Real Madrid. The idea of facing Howard in a one-off game is likely to give the Virtus players nightmares, especially after his 34-point outing in a 91-95 win at Virtus Segafredo Arena in Round 34. There was no stopping the 25-year-old, but he’ll be eager to respond after scoring 14 points against Maccabi on Tuesday, 5.3 points below his usual average.

Miller-McIntyre may also see a lot of attention, having posted 10 points, 8 rebounds and 13 assists in Baskonia’s Round 14 loss to Virtus before having 16 points, 4 rebounds and 7 assists in the Spanish team’s win in Italy. He may not be the scorer that Howard is, but Miller-McIntyre loves to get his teammates involved and, in front of a passionate crowd at Buesa Arena, has a habit for making magic happen.

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="es" dir="ltr">🔥🔥🔥 ¡Todo preparado para que mañana el Buesa sea una CALDERA! 🔥🔥🔥<br><br>⚔️ Lucharemos juntos por el billete para el <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PlayOff?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PlayOff</a> 💪<br>🔵🔴🔵🔴🔵🔴🔵🔴<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GoazenBaskonia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GoazenBaskonia</a> <a href="https://t.co/N1NidzP6h4">pic.twitter.com/N1NidzP6h4</a></p>&mdash; Baskonia (@Baskonia) <a href="https://twitter.com/Baskonia/status/1780960160669675991?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 18, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Virtus has several players it can throw at Miller-McIntyre and Howard – [Alessandro Pajola](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/alessandro-pajola/006739/) and [Daniel Hackett](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/daniel-hackett/001844/) in particular – but sometimes the best players simply cannot be stopped. 

One of the key questions for Baskonia is how it will cope without Moneke, with Matt Costello likely to play more at the "four", and whether it can flip the switch now that it is back on its home floor. Virtus, on the other hand, will be eager to continue the momentum it kick-started at Efes on Tuesday night. 

There's a place in the EuroLeague Playoffs on the line, so make sure to tune in to EuroLeague TV to catch all the action from 20:30 CEST on Friday.

The two teams’ seasons are on the line, with the winner set to face Real Madrid in a best-of-five series

Two of the strongest rosters in the EuroLeague will go to battle in a best-of-five series

Playoff primer: AS Monaco vs. Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul

The Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Playoffs are stacked with fascinating matchups wherever you look, yet the series between the third-placed [AS Monaco](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/as-monaco/roster/mco/?season=2023-24) and sixth-placed [Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/fenerbahce-beko-istanbul/roster/ulk/?season=2023-24) should be one of the most intriguing. Three wins separated the two teams at the end of the regular season, with Monaco finishing with a 23-11 record and Fenerbahce going 20-14, but they split games when they met earlier this season.

Fenerbahce turned its campaign around following the decision to part ways with Dimitris Itoudis and appoint Saras Jasikevicius ahead of Round 14, with the Turkish side going 14-7 the rest of the way after starting 6-7. However, three defeats in Fenerbahce’s last four EuroLeague games put a dampener on things heading into the playoffs, even if the only win in that run saw [Nigel Hayes-Davis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/nigel-hayes-davis/008962/) [set the competition’s single-game scoring record with a 50-point night](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/nigel-hayes-davis-sets-euroleague-single-game-scoring-record-with-50-points/) against ALBA Berlin.

Monaco had a similar record in that same period, posting a 15-6 mark from Round 14 onwards, but it had a far more positive end to the regular season than its playoff opponent as Sasa Obradovic’s men went 12-1 in their last 13 games. That strong finish to the campaign allowed Monaco to have the joint second-best record in the EuroLeague, yet a regular-season sweep by Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens meant the Greens finished in second place and caused the Monegasques to settle for third.

Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul has several players who can cause damage from three-point territory during its playoff series against AS Monaco.

Fenerbahce's main three-point threats vs. Monaco

### Their playoff history

Playing in just its third season in the EuroLeague, Monaco’s trajectory has been remarkable, to say the least. It made the playoffs in its first campaign, 2021-22, finishing as the seventh seed, before falling to second-placed Olympiacos Piraeus in a memorable five-game series that saw NBA superstar Kevin Durant attend Games 4 and 5. While it was a disappointing end for Monaco, reaching the postseason and pushing a club like Olympiacos all the way was a sign of things to come.

Last year, Monaco ensured that a potential Game 5 would take place on its home floor after finishing fourth, which set up an exciting series with fifth-placed Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv. Once again, a fifth game was required with the series knotted at 2-2, only this time Monaco was able to come out on top and reach its first-ever Final Four. In Kaunas, Coach Obradovic’s squad found themselves ahead 29-41 at halftime during their semifinal clash with Olympiacos, but a nightmarish 27-2 third quarter saw the Reds take control and eventually secure a 76-62 victory. Monaco did defeat FC Barcelona in the third-place game, 78-66, to end its EuroLeague game on a bit of a high.

Overall, Monaco’s postseason record stands at 6-6 and it will now get to face off against Fenerbahce for the first time in playoff action. Obradovic shares the same record as Monaco, having only tasted postseason basketball with the principality club.

Fenerbahce, meanwhile, has a lot more experience when it comes to playing in late April and early May. The Turkish club has been to the playoffs on nine occasions in the past, though it took two series defeats – in 2004-05 to CSKA Moscow and 2007-08 to Montepaschi Siena – before it could reach its first Final Four, which came in the 2014-15 campaign. In total, Fenerbahce has reached the Final Four on five occasions, all of which came with Zeljko Obradovic sitting on the bench. Over a five-year stretch between 2015 and 2019, Fenerbahce played in the championship game three times and won its first EuroLeague crown in 2017.

Some good news for Fenerbahce fans is that it seems to have a Final Four specialist as its current head coach, with Saras Jasikevicius having guided Barca to European basketball’s showpiece event in each of the last three years. He also took underdog Zalgiris Kaunas to the Final Four in 2017-18. In the playoffs, Jasikevicius boasts a 13-8 record and will fancy his chances of reaching the Final Four for a fourth straight year, albeit with a different team.

Fenerbahce’s overall postseason record is 20-18 and it has bowed out of the playoffs on its last two postseason trips, losing 3-0 to CSKA in 2020-21 and 3-2 to Olympiacos last season. Should the series go to a Game 5, it will be played on Monaco’s floor courtesy of being the higher seed in this matchup.

AS Monaco finished the regular season in the top five in offensive rebounding, which could prove key in its playoff series against Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul.

Monaco feasts on the offensive glass

### The things to look for in this series

Given that Fenerbahce finished the regular season as the best three-pointing team in the EuroLeague, making an average of 11.2 per night on a league-high 28.7 attempts, Monaco will need to have its perimeter defenders locked in. [Tarik Biberovic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/tarik-biberovic/006961/) has become one of the competition’s biggest threats from long distance this season, knocking down 37 of his 65 three-point shots (56.9% 3FG), but he is not the only weapon that Fenerbahce can call upon.

Of course, there’s [Scottie Wilbekin](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/scottie-wilbekin/006661/), who has made 102 three-pointers on 39.7% shooting, while [Tyler Dorsey](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/tyler-dorsey/009849/) (48 threes, 45.7% 3FG), Hayes-Davis (58 threes, 38.7% 3FG) and [Marko Guduric](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/marko-guduric/004004/) (32 threes, 30.5% 3FG) all made more than 30 triples during the regular season. While not circled on the scouting report for their three-point shooting, [Nick Calathes](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/nick-calathes/001932/) and [Sertac Sanli](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/sertac-sanli/002968/) have already shown what they can do from distance against Monaco, knocking down 3 triples apiece over the two regular-season games with the Monegasque side. Only Wilbekin has made more with 4. As such, Fenerbahce will be looking for its marksmen to do plenty of damage from deep.

Monaco, on the other hand, ranked in the top five in two-pointers made (21.8 per game), free throws made (14.5 per game) and offensive rebounds (11.3 per game). Quite the contrast to Fenerbahce, with the Monegasques instead leaning into its strengths inside the arc.

Leading the way in terms of two-pointers made for Monaco is not a center and not even a forward. It is [Mike James](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/mike-james/005985/), who is the only guard inside the top 10 in the EuroLeague in this statistic, having converted 133 times from two-point range, the eighth most of any player. [Donatas Motiejunas](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/donatas-motiejunas/lcz/) is the next best player in this regard for Monaco, making 95 two-pointers, followed by [Alpha Diallo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/alpha-diallo/011226/) with 88, [John Brown](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/john-brown/010588/) with 82, [Elie Okobo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/elie-okobo/011212/) with 77, [Jaron Blossomgame](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/jaron-blossomgame/011231/) with 73 and [Donta Hall](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/donta-hall/011196/) with 68. Hall is 71st overall, meaning that Monaco makes up 10.14% of all players in this statistic. Impressive stuff.

Even with free throws, James led the EuroLeague with 132 free-throw makes and Okobo was 18th with 86. Despite being guards, they like to go among the trees, something Fenerbahce needs to be wary of.

It will be interesting to see how these two teams and their contrasting styles match up, but it should be a lot of fun. Make sure to catch all the action from this series on EuroLeague TV, starting on April 24.

Breakdown: AS Monaco vs. Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul

The greatest talents in global basketball will converge on Berlin as the Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament Finals take place at the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four. The ANGT Finals will once again open a new frontier when the games are played in the German capital from May 23 to 26.

2023-24 ANGT Finals field announced

#### · USA to participate for the first time, with an Overtime Elite league representative.

#### · ANGT Finals will be held from May 23 to 26 in Berlin, alongside the EuroLeague Final Four

The greatest talents in global basketball will converge on Berlin as the Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament Finals take place at the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four. The ANGT Finals will once again open a new frontier when the games are played in the German capital from May 23 to 26.

The ANGT Finals, the world's premier club-based junior basketball event, will once again feature eight teams, four of whom earned their spots through the qualifiers: U18 Real Madrid (ANGT Podgorica), FC Barcelona (ANGT Belgrade) and U18 ratiopharm Ulm (Dubai), U18 PFBB INSEP Paris (Paris).

The other four teams in the finals field for Berlin are wild card recipients: U18 Mega MIS Belgrade, U18 ALBA Berlin, U18 EA7 Emporia Armani Milan and U18 Overtime Elite. Mega took fifth place at the ANGT Belgrade, ALBA was sixth at ANGT Podgorica, and Milan finished second at ANGT Belgrade. Overtime Elite, meanwhile, will be competing in the ANGT for the first time with a team made up of a selection of U18 players from around the league.

Overtime Elite is an Atlanta-based U16 to U20 league with many of the top young talents in the United States and beyond. There are eight teams in the Overtime Elite league, which just completed its third season. Overtime Elite has sent 15 players to professional basketball around the world, including two top-five picks in the NBA Draft, brothers Amen and Ausar Thompson.

The eight teams in Berlin will be split into two groups. Milan, Mega, Real and Ulm will be in Group A while Group B is made up of ALBA, Barcelona, Overtime Elite and PFBB.

See the game schedule below. All games will be broadcast on the EuroLeague's Youtube official channel

A combined eight U18 continental trophies have been won by the eight clubs involved in the ANGT Finals. Real is reigning champion and also claimed the title in 2015, 2019 and 2021. PFBB hoisted the trophy in 2010 and 2017.  Barcelona was the champion of Europe in 2016. And Mega won its sole championship in 2022. 

In Berlin, 12 group games will be played over the first three days – from Thursday, May 23, to Saturday, May 25 – at the Uber eats Music Hall, which will also host Sunday's championship game between the two group winners. 

Tickets for the ANGT Finals will be available for purchase starting on May 3.

Many of the biggest and brightest stars of basketball were seen first by an international audience at the ANGT. The ever-growing list of players currently on EuroLeague rosters who previously dazzled in the ANGT includes:

Gabriele Procida, Matteo Spagnolo, Malte Delow, Anton Nufer, Jonas Mattisseck, Ziga Samar, Dorian Grosber, Tim Schneider, Louis Olinde, Amon Doerries, Elias Rapieque, Linus Ruf, Kresimir Nikic (ALBA Berlin)

Melih Tunca, Burakcan Yildizli, Salih Altunas, Efe Demirel (Anadolu Efes Istanbul)

Matthew Strazel, Mam Jaiteh, Donatas Motiejunas (AS Monaco)

Vanja Marinkovic, Dani Diez, Khalifa Diop, Aleksandr Savkov, Vit Hrabar (Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz)

Milos Teodosic, Branko Lazic, Nemanja Nedovic, Stefan Lazarevic, Luka Mitrovic, Nikola Topic (Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade)

Nikola Mirotic, Diego Flaccadori, Giampaolo Ricci, Giordano Bortolani, Guglielmo Caruso, Samuele Miccoli (EA7 Emporio Armani Milan)

Willy Hernangomez, Rokas Jokubaitis, Joel Parra, James Nnaji, Oriol Pauli, Dame Sarr, Kasparas Jakucionis, Dayan Nessah (FC Barcelona)

Andreas Obst, Niels Giffey, Isaac Bonga, Danko Brankovic, Dino Radoncic, Niklas Wimberg, Nelson Weidemann, Ivan Kharchenkov (FC Bayern Munich)

Marko Guduric, Tarik Biberovic, Amine Noua, Metecan Birsen, Mert Eksioglu (Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul)

Noam Yaacov (LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne)

Omer Mayer, Yaron Goldman (Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv)

Nikola Milutinov, Veniamin Abosi, Anastasios Rozakeas (Olympiacos Piraeus)

Mathias Lessort, Marius Grigonis, Olek Balcerowski, Alexandros Samontourov, Eleftherios Mantzoukas (Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens)

Aleksa Avramovic, Ognjen Jaramaz, Danilo Andjusic, Savo Drezgic (Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade)

Mario Hezonja, Dzanan Musa, Alberto Abalde, Eli Ndiaye, Hugo Gonzalez, Ismaila Diagne, Egor Demin, Mitar Bosnjakovic (Real Madrid)

Damien Inglis, Xabi Lopez-Arostegui, Lucas Mari, Sergio De Larrea (Valencia Basket)

Alessandro Pajola, Rihards Lomazs, Ognjen Dobric, Ante Zizic (Virtus Segafredo Bologna)

Edgaras Ulanovas, Arnas Butkevicius, Lukas Lekavicius, Tomas Dimsa, Laurynas Birutis, Karolis Lukosiunas, Dovydas Butka, Danielius Lavrinovicius (Zalgiris Kaunas)

Baskonia head coach Dusko Ivanovic has confirmed that power forward Chima Moneke will miss Friday's Play-In Showdown clash against Virtus Bologna due to injury.

Baskonia's Chima Moneke out vs. Virtus

Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz star power forward [Chima Moneke](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/chima-moneke/012201/) is set to miss his team's do-or-die Play-In Showdown clash against Virtus Segafredo Bologna due to an ankle injury. 

On Thursday morning, during the pre-game press conference, Baskonia head coach Dusko Ivanovic confirmed that the 28-year-old is unavailable for selection on Friday's game, which will be available to watch on EuroLeague TV.

"Chima cannot play tomorrow and it will be an important absence for us. We never cried before and we won't do so today or tomorrow," Coach Ivanovic said. "The team is feeling good. We have to feel good because we are playing a game after fighting all year in the EuroLeague to have this \[opportunity\]: to depend on ourselves in a home game and get the win in front of our fans."

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="es" dir="ltr">🎙️ Dusko Ivanovic en la previa al partido de mañana 🆚 <a href="https://twitter.com/VirtusSegafredo?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@VirtusSegafredo</a> <br><br>&quot;La afición es la que nos va a dar ese plus, mañana juntos tenemos que ganar&quot;<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GoazenBaskonia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GoazenBaskonia</a> 🎬 <a href="https://t.co/YoOYFSNRsW">https://t.co/YoOYFSNRsW</a> <a href="https://t.co/gze4JCRVK7">pic.twitter.com/gze4JCRVK7</a></p>&mdash; Baskonia (@Baskonia) <a href="https://twitter.com/Baskonia/status/1780900559576240629?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 18, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

### How did Moneke get injured?

Moneke picked up an injury in the first half of [Baskonia's play-in defeat against Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv.](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/maccabi-routs-baskonia-113-85-to-advance-to-playoffs/) He hurt his left ankle and had to be carried to the locker room. Even when Moneke returned to his team's bench before halftime, he didn't get back on the court after halftime.

Moneke is averaging 13.6 points, 6.6 rebounds and 1.1 steals in 34 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague games this season, ranking sixth overall in PIR (18.3)

Chima Moneke in action for Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz in the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.

The Spanish side will be without the services of its all-action big man due to injury