Nigel Hayes-Davis, the man of the moment, sat down with EuroLeague.net to talk a little bit about his 50 points from last week, the new EuroLeague scoring record in a single game.

Nigel Hayes-Davis, Fenerbahce: 'Everyone just calls me 50 now'

March 29, 2024, will always be remembered as the date on which a Turkish Airlines EuroLeague player scored 50 points for the first time. Of course, that player was [Nigel Hayes-Davis of Fenerbahce Bekos Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/nigel-hayes-davis/008962/), who sat down with [EuroLeague.net](http://EuroLeague.net) to share how he feels after such an accomplishment.

"Everyone just calls me 50 now," Hayes-Davis jokes. "Teammates that walked in, coaching staff, the interviews I've done, everyone started the interview with, well, 'We're here with Mr. 50.' So that's a pretty cool nickname."

Hayes-Davis's feat also meant a new single-game scoring record in the league, beating by a single point the previous one held by Shane Larkin of Anadolu Efes Istanbul, at 49.

The performance by Hayes-Davis ignited social media with many reactions and comments, and he was pretty fond of one in particular.

"My favorite one, obviously, would be for me is Klay Thompson," Hayes-Davis explains. "He was always my favorite player growing up."

After such an accomplishment, Hayes-Davis did not celebrate it in any bombastic way or even change his post-game routines, for that matter.

"I FaceTime my mom after every game, whether I win or lose or I score 50," he says. "You know, obviously, this one was a special FaceTime."

And special it must have been, as not everybody can be the first EuroLeague player to ever score 50 points.

Congratulations Nigel!

Nigel Hayes-Davis, the man of the moment, sat down with EuroLeague.net to talk a little bit about his 50-point performance from last week, the new EuroLeague single-game record.

Valencia, Mumbru part ways

Valencia Basket announced on Friday that it has terminated its relationship with head coach Alex Mumbru. The decision comes after a shocking home loss to LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne by 69-98 in Round 33. It was Valencia's worst loss ever at home in the EuroLeague.

This has been Mumbru's second season as head coach in Valencia. He took the reins of the team in 2022 as the team was back in the EuroLeague, and finished 13th in 2022-23. Yesterday's loss to ASVEL could prove fatal for the orange team, as a win by either Anadolu Efes Istanbul or Zalgiris Kaunas on Friday would mathematically eliminate Valencia from the play-in race. Mumbru's total EuuroLeague record with Valencia stands at 29-38.

The club has announced that former assistant coach Xavi Albert will be the new head coach for the team from now on. Albert was the coach of the U18 Valencia Basket team that won the ANGT Valencia tournament in 2018, and has also been head coach in teams of the other club categories.

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="es" dir="ltr">📰 Comunicado oficial<br><br>¡Gracias y mucha suerte en los próximos retos, <a href="https://twitter.com/Alexmumbru15?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Alexmumbru15</a>!<br><br>Cas 👉 Álex Mumbrú no sigue al frente del primer equipo masculino de Valencia Basket<a href="https://t.co/b62o9HcPyC">https://t.co/b62o9HcPyC</a><br><br>Val 👉 Álex Mumbrú no continua al capdavant del primer equip masculí de Valencia… <a href="https://t.co/9tBqyExJaj">pic.twitter.com/9tBqyExJaj</a></p>&mdash; Valencia Basket Club (@valenciabasket) <a href="https://twitter.com/valenciabasket/status/1776195642718597149?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 5, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

A Virtus legend speaks about how great it is to have the club back in the elite and the ongoing legacy of Argentinian players in the EuroLeague.

Manu Ginobili: 'Virtus fans really deserve this'

Before becoming a Basketball Hall of Famer, Manu Ginobili played in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague with Virtus Segafredo Bologna for two years, winning the title in 2001 and reaching the championship game in 2002.

Ginobili was arguably the EuroLeague's first new superstar of the 21st century. He averaged 15.2 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.9 steals and a PIR of 15.9 in 22 Euroleague games in the competition's original 2000-01 season and was chosen as the 2001 Finals MVP. A year later, Ginobili posted solid numbers again, averaging 15.7 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.5 steals and a PIR of 17.1 in 22 games and was named to the 2001-02 All-EuroLeague First Team. Despite his 27 points in the championship game, Virtus lost 83-89 loss against Panathinaikos Athens in what is still the only title ever won on the other finalist's home floor.

### Ginobili on Virtus

Ginobili went on to play in the NBA and become a Basketball Hall of Famer. He spent 16 season with the San Antonio Spurs, which he helped to win four NBA titles – in 2003, 2005, 2007 and 2014 – getting his #20 jersey retired at the end of his career. He led Argentina to the Olympic gold medal in Athens in 2004 and to the bronze Beijing in 2008. Ginobili also helped Argentina get a silver medal at the 2002 World Cup. His signature move, the Euro-step, is widely used all over the basketball world. Now that Virtus is back in the EuroLeague, he has started to follow the EuroLeague closely again.

"Virtus fans really deserve this, and the city deserves to have a team at the highest level because of the way they feel the game, because of the way they experience it. So after we left for a few years, it was... nothing was going on. The team was struggling. And then slowly, when you see it, that is is happening again, right? Like, it was the EuroCup first, and then being competitive in the EuroLeague, and having those fun games and the arena packed with fans, it's great to see," Ginobili said. "It's one of those things that should have never stopped happening. But now that it is back, I'm of course very glad. It connects me also a little bit more with EuroLeague, because those years also I lost that, right? I lost my team in the competition."

### A friend in the team

Ginobili played with Virtus captain Marco Belinelli in the NBA. Belinelli was with San Antonio for two seasons, and won the NBA title in 2014. Belinelli played in the NBA for 14 seasons and went full circle by returning to Virtus, where he started his playing career. Ginobili was already a Virtus star with Belinelli was barely a teenager, and is happy to see him still going strong in the EuroLeague.

"It's great to see Marco still making things happen, also playing in Bologna where he started," Ginobili said. "I don't remember when was his first game, but he was 16, practicing with us. And seeing him still performing, still hitting those crazy shots out of balance that he shoots like nobody else, it's great to see. And also, we had a great time here playing together. He plays without the ball like nobody else, and we liked looking for each other. And we had a good run."

### Argentina and the EuroLeague

Ginobili belonged to a first generations of Argentinian players that came to the EuroLeague looking for a bigger level of competition. Luis Scola, Pepe Sanchez, Pablo Prigioni, Andres Nocioni and Fabricio Oberto, among others, were EuroLeague stars in the early 2000s. Now, players like Luca Vildoza, Facu Campazzo, Nico Laprovittola and Gabriel Deck are following their footsteps which, of course, makes Ginobili keep an eye on what's going on in the EuroLeague.

"They have done remarkable things, too. I mean, what Facu \[Campazzo\] is doing in the Euroleague, or has done before coming to the NBA, at the level in which 'Lapro' \[Nico Laprovittola\] is playing, the consistency of Gabi Deck and Luca Vildoza is great to see," Ginobili said. "All four had – are having, not had – amazing careers, and they are consistently playing at the top level. It's not something that's a guarantee. They bring it every night. They are great competitors, so it's great to see them there."

Nando De Colo moved into second place all-time in the EuroLeague's scoring charts on Thursday night, while he also became fifth all-time in steals.

Nando De Colo made history on an extraordinary night for ASVEL

LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne produced an outstanding display at La Fonteta on a special night for [Nando De Colo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/nando-de-colo/002100/), with the visitors dismantling Valencia Basket’s defense and grabbing [a dominant 69-98 road victory](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/live-blog-valencia-basket-vs-ldlc-asvel/) in Round 33.

This may have been the second-largest win in ASVEL’s Turkish Airlines EuroLeague history after a 65-99 triumph at Scavolini Pesaro back in 2002, but Thursday’s clash against Valencia was anything but easy for the French side. While ASVEL had nothing to play for, its Spanish counterpart needed the victory to stay alive in the final push for the Play-In Showdown.

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="fr" dir="ltr">DÉMONSTRATION COLLECTIVE ! 🤩🤩🤩<br><br>Nos Villeurbannais s’imposent avec la manière sur le parquet de Valence grâce à une prestation collective impressionnante ! 💪<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LDLCASVEL?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LDLCASVEL</a> <a href="https://t.co/4LSuoqigmC">pic.twitter.com/4LSuoqigmC</a></p>&mdash; LDLC ASVEL (@LDLCASVEL) <a href="https://twitter.com/LDLCASVEL/status/1775988548706935245?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 4, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

### A special game for De Colo

However, De Colo pulled off an incredible display against his former team and managed to make history by celebrating a couple of milestones at La Fonteta.

ASVEL was forced to dispute the game without its leading scorer, [Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/timothe-luwawu-cabarrot/012080/), who has averaged 13.3 points this season. In his absence, De Colo stepped up and it took him just a few minutes to open his account from the free-throw line. By making 3 of 3 from the charity stripe, the veteran guard moved passed [Vassilis Spanoulis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/vassilis-spanoulis/juo/) into second place all-time in points scored with 4,456.

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">📊 <a href="https://twitter.com/NandoDeColo?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NandoDeColo</a> becomes 2nd in All-Time Scoring list <a href="https://t.co/QDiOIBMyb2">pic.twitter.com/QDiOIBMyb2</a></p>&mdash; Turkish Airlines EuroLeague (@EuroLeague) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague/status/1775998371611681040?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 4, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

De Colo was cooking from the off and finished the first quarter with 6 points and 3 assists for a PIR of 12. A no-look pass set up [Youssoupha Fall](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/youssoupha-fall/006568/) for a powerful slam and another two extraordinary dishes saw the ASVEL center and [Deshaun Thomas](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/deshaun-thomas/005094/) convert from inside in the second quarter.

ASVEL took a 38-52 lead into the second half and outscored Valencia 7-27 in the third quarter to head into the final period up by 34 points, 45-79. That’s when De Colo’s second milestone came as the ASVEL captain recorded his second steal of the night, meaning he is now tied with [Theo Papaloukas](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/theodoros-papaloukas/atw/) in fifth all-time with as many as 335 steals.

Nando De Colo had 19 points, 5 assists, 3 rebounds and 2 steals as LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne thumped Valencia Basket on the road in Round 33 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.

De Colo's highlights vs. Valencia

The 36-year-old finished the game with 19 points, 5 assists, 3 rebounds, 2 steals and 5 drawn fouls in 19 minutes for a PIR of 25. Come the final buzzer, his overall points tally stood at 4,472.

“I’m always happy to come back here and I’m always ready to do a great game against Valencia,” De Colo said afterward. “Tonight, we had a great game, more than what we expected. We were ready to fight and win this one and we did it.”

LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne guard Nando De Colo spoke to the TV cameras after his team's win at Valencia Basket in Round 33 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.

De Colo speaks post-Valencia win

In the city where he played for three years, from 2009 to 2012, helping Valencia win the 2010 EuroCup, making his EuroLeague debut and meeting his wife, De Colo pulled off a stunning display to help his team cruise past *Las Taronjas*.

Meanwhile, with this victory on De Colo’s historic night, ASVEL ensured that it won't finish bottom of the standings. Most importantly, Pierric Poupet’s revived squad showed that they are going to compete until the end of the season, despite having just pride to play for.

Game News

Nando De Colo of LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne looks to get past Chris Jones of Valencia Basket in Round 33 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.

The French side swept Valencia aside in convincing fashion in Round 33

Valencia Basket v LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne (2024-04-04T18:45:00.000Z)

KK Partizan was able to lean on its strong support, despite playing on the road, as it secured a victory at ALBA Berlin in a must-win contest in the play-in race.

Unrelenting fans carried Partizan to lifeline road win over ALBA

One could be forgiven for thinking that Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade was the home team in [an 83-94 road win at ALBA Berlin](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/live-blog-alba-berlin-vs-kk-partizan/), such was the atmosphere inside Uber Arena generated by thousands of away fans which gave the Serbian team the extra gas.

A mix of Serbian expats in Berlin and die-hard fans who made the trip from Belgrade, the road contingent created the kind of atmosphere few traveling units, if any, can boast of in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague.

Partizan’s faithful, who have supported the team with unabated passion through the thick and think of what has been a topsy-turvy season, finally got their reward after seeing the team suffer a stack of fourth-quarter meltdowns.

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="und" dir="ltr">HVALA CRNO-BELA PORODICO!🙏🏽🖤🤍<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KKPartizan?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KKPartizan</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EuroLeague?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EuroLeague</a> <a href="https://t.co/ZP8lmXxje4">pic.twitter.com/ZP8lmXxje4</a></p>&mdash; KK Partizan Mozzart Bet (@PartizanBC) <a href="https://twitter.com/PartizanBC/status/1775989163793285447?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 4, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

At one point early in the fourth quarter, they were given an almighty scare as ALBA slashed a 15-point deficit to just 69-73, but Partizan’s key players stepped up to the plate this time and held on for a vital win ahead of the regular season’s dramatic climax.

Head coach Zeljko Obradovic, who was his usual vibrant self as he got increasingly frustrated on his team’s bench whenever ALBA threatened to turn the tide, lauded the fans for their fervent support throughout the season and praised his team for keeping its nerve when the chips were down.

“Some minutes we played very well, but not the entire game,” Obradovic said in his post-game comments. “It summed up our entire season – up and down. We found a way to be calm in the crucial moments and that’s why we won the game. We used our individual quality to good effect. In the last game against Valencia \[Basket\] on our home court, we will have incredible support from our fans, just like we did tonight.”

Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade head coach Zeljko Obradovic spoke to the TV cameras after his team's win at ALBA Berlin in Round 33 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.

Coach Obradovic speaks post-ALBA win

### A do-or-die clash in Round 34

Partizan can clinch a play-in berth if it beats Valencia next Friday, provided that one or two other results go the Serbian team’s way. Captain [Kevin Punter](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/kevin-punter/009862/), who claimed the player of the game accolade with 15 points and 6 rebounds, echoed Obradovic’s stance.

“A lot of composure and poise, we finished the game properly,” he said. “The fans always show up to support us, whether it’s at home or on the road. We appreciate that and now we’ve got one more game left. We need to reset our minds and bodies.”

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="und" dir="ltr">&quot;GDE GOD TI DA IGRAŠ!&quot;🖤🤍<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KKPartizan?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KKPartizan</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EuroLeague?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EuroLeague</a> <a href="https://t.co/S5I4dE3aP3">pic.twitter.com/S5I4dE3aP3</a></p>&mdash; KK Partizan Mozzart Bet (@PartizanBC) <a href="https://twitter.com/PartizanBC/status/1775956481721946322?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 4, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Partizan prevailed thanks to a solid performance at both ends, having forced 18 turnovers from ALBA and restricting the hosts to just 17 assists. The visitors shot a commendable 7 of 16 from downtown while restricting the hosts to 9 of 27 from long range, having also managed 11 steals thanks to aggressive half-court pressure.

Punter aside, several other players also stood out for Partizan and one of them was [James Nunnally](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/james-nunnally/007400/), who paced the visiting team with 19 points. The 33-year-old was also looking forward to the do-or-die game against Valencia, having acknowledged that the matchup with ALBA panned out according to script.

“It’s a great win, we played hard for 40 minutes,” he stated. “We did a good job stopping their fastbreak, we followed the game plan and things worked out for us. We have a bit of time to rest and prepare for what should be a special game against Valencia.”

Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade's Alen Smailagic takes a photo with a fan after the Serbian side's win at ALBA Berlin in Round 33 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.

The visitors were made to feel at home by thousands of fans who had stuck with the team through a patchy season

ALBA Berlin v Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade (2024-04-04T18:30:00.000Z)

Nico Laprovittola and Alex Abrines hit a combined 10 three-pointers as Barça Basket grabbed a 92-89 win against Maccabi Tel Aviv BC, which sealed the Spanish side's place in the EuroLeague Playoffs.

Barcelona found its shooting touch just in time against Maccabi

Just as expected, FC Barcelona had to battle hard [to beat Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv 92-89](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/live-blog-fc-barcelona-vs-maccabi-tel-aviv-bc/) at home in Round 33. [Nico Laprovittola](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/nicolas-laprovittola/006435/) hit the go-ahead three-pointer, and Barca had more good news from beyond the arc. 

Maccabi seemed to have full control of the game when [Tamir Blatt](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/tamir-blatt/011193/) struck from downtown, giving his team an 80-85 lead with over 4 minutes remaining. Yet, [Jan Vesely](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/jan-vesely/000925/) rescued Barca with a crucial basket, [Jabari Parker](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/jabari-parker/012745/) buried an off-balanced shot and [Alex Abrines](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/alex-abrines/003478/) struck from downtown in a 9-0 run that put Barca on the right track, 89-85. 

Even when Maccabi tied it at 89-89, Laprovittola delivered from beyond the arc to send Barca to the playoffs.

"I think it is not the last shot, it was the whole game. We played with amazing energy at home against this team. They are playing very, very good and I think it is a huge win for us," Laprovittola said afterward. "We have to control what we can control. We have to stay \[on track\], to keep playing our game, and I think we will get chances \[to do something special in the playoffs\]."

### Three-pointers proved key

Laprovittola had 15 points and matched his season high with 9 assists. Over the last three games, Laprovittola had hit 5-of-15 three-pointers before that vital shot, but he buried it with a lot of confidence.

Abrines had 17 points on 5-of-7 three-pointers. He hit three of those right after Maccabi's biggest lead of the game, 25-35, allowing Barca to stay in the game. After struggling a little bit after his injury, Abrines is showing his best form right before the playoffs, hitting 9-of-13 shots from beyond the arc in the last three games.

Nicolas Laprovittola, Alex Abrines and Jabari Parker combined for 13 three-pointers in Round 33 against Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv. They led FC Barcelona to a 92-89 home win.

Laprovittola, Abrines, Parker shoot the lights out

Parker also hit three consecutive three-pointers to give his team a 60-52 margin late in the third quarter. The rest of the team went 0 of 9 from beyond the arc, but Barca outrebounded Maccabi 40-35. Playmaker [Tomas Satoransky](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/tomas-satoransky/002939/) had a career-high 11 rebounds and 6 assists. Vesely, meanwhile, finished with 17 points and 7 boards.

"Sometimes we lost focus. They are a very, very talented team and showed they could punish our lack of focus," Vesely commented. "But we fought and believed that we could do it and, in the end, 'Lapro' hit a crazy shot and we did. Still one more round to play. Everything is open, but we are trying to do our best to finish strong and get the best position."

On to the next target: Barca can get home-court advantage in the playoffs if Anadolu Efes Istanbul beats Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul on Friday night. If not, Barca will most likely need to beat LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne in both teams' regular-season finale.

Alex Abrines of FC Barcelona celebrates a made shot against Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv in Round 33 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.

Nico Laprovittola and Alex Abrines lit it up from behind the arc in Round 33

FC Barcelona v Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv (2024-04-04T18:30:00.000Z)

Moses Wright, who scored 16 of his game-high 20 points in the fourth quarter, was crucial in Olympiacos BC reaching the playoffs following an important win at KK Crvena zvezda.

Olympiacos rode Moses Wright's monster fourth-quarter in key win

Olympiacos Piraeus had to fight hard, but in the end it pulled out [an 86-89 road win over Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/live-blog-kk-crvena-zvezda-vs-olympiacos-bc/). 

For the second consecutive week, Olympiacos  pulled out a dramatic win at Belgrade Arena, with this one being enough to wrap up a top-six spot in the standings, thus guaranteeing the Reds' place in the EuroLeague Playoffs.

And this time, Olympiacos's hero was backup center Moses Wright, who scored 16 of his game-high 20 points in the fourth quarter.

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/bwinMVP?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#bwinMVP</a>, Moses Wright!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OlympiacosBC?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#OlympiacosBC</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TogetherWeFight?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TogetherWeFight</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WeAreOlympiacos?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WeAreOlympiacos</a> <a href="https://t.co/y2Oy7oH0Jq">pic.twitter.com/y2Oy7oH0Jq</a></p>&mdash; Olympiacos B.C. (@Olympiacos_BC) <a href="https://twitter.com/Olympiacos_BC/status/1775967247791460391?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 4, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

### Moses Wright took over

Zvezda entered the fourth quarter with its only lead of the night, 64-63, but Wright opened the fourth with a put-back dunk, then soon after strung together 8 points to put Olympiacos 69-75 ahead.

As the game headed towards its conclusion, Wright kept getting to the free-throw line as Zvezda had no answers for how to stop him under the rims. Wright, however, missed 3-of-4 free throws which helped Zvezda tie the game at 84-84 with 46 seconds left.

But on the ensuing possession, as the shot-clock was ticking away, Wright was seemingly not dwelling on those missed free throws as he knocked down a triple, his only behind-the-arc attempt of the night, to give Olympiacos an 84-87 lead it would never relinquish.

Moses Wright scored a game-high 20 points as Olympiacos Piraeus beat Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade in Round 33 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.

Moses Wright's highlights vs. Crvena Zvezda

After the game, when asked for his thoughts on becoming Olympiacos's hero, Wright admitted his thoughts could have gone in a totally different direction.

"\[Kostas\] Papanikolaou was saying how bad I did rebounding and how more tentative I need to be to box out to not give the other team more possessions," Wright said.

"Then I was thinking about how \[Giannoulis\] Larentzakis called me soft going into the second half. Those comments came from the vets on the team. I am a little bit proud, but you can always improve."

That triple from Wright was the Reds' 13th of the night and by a ninth different player. However, that was just enough for Olympiacos on the night, with head coach Georgios Bartzokas unhappy with his team's performance afterward.

"How \[Zvezda\] played the game, how many rebounds they got, how many 50-50 balls they took, they wanted the match desperately," Bartzokas noted.

"It is a lesson for us. Maybe deep inside in their minds, some of our players thought that \[Zvezda\] is without any interest in the game. It was not like that, it was one of the toughest games of the season."

Olympiacos Piraeus head coach Georgios Bartzokas spoke to the TV cameras after his team's win at Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade in Round 33 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.

Coach Bartzokas speaks post-Zvezda win

What should have made the Olympiacos boss happy was his team's 27 assists. Papanikolaou had 6 dimes, as did [Nigel Williams-Goss](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/nigel-williams-goss/007982/) and [Moustapha Fall](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/moustapha-fall/008811/), while [Thomas Walkup](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/thomas-walkup/008855/) had 5 assists to his name.

It was the first time this season – and just the 12th time since the 2007-08 season – that four different players on the same team had at least 5 assists.

It helped Olympiacos learn a lesson in the best possible way – with a victory, its 21st of the season and one that got the team over the line in the playoff battle. The Reds have another race to complete next week, however, as they now look to wrap up home-court advantage against another playoff-qualified team in Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul.

Moses Wright of Olympiacos Piraeus celebrates during his team's win at Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade in Round 33 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.

The first-year center took over in the fourth quarter at Crvena Zvezda

Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade v Olympiacos Piraeus (2024-04-04T17:00:00.000Z)

Ergin Ataman’s Final Four prophecy is one step closer to becoming reality as Panathinaikos BC has rubber stamped its place in the EuroLeague Playoffs, ending a five-year wait in the process.

Panathinaikos returns to the playoffs after a five-year absence

Ergin Ataman’s Final Four prophecy is one step closer to becoming reality as Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens has rubber stamped its place in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Playoffs, ending a five-year wait in the process.

Despite not playing on Thursday night, [Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv's loss at FC Barcelona](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/live-blog-fc-barcelona-vs-maccabi-tel-aviv-bc/) guaranteed Panathinaikos's spot in the playoffs.

Ever since Ataman became the first big move that Panathinaikos made last summer, you knew the good times were not far away. Now, he will be looking to confirm his belief that the Greens are on their way to their first Final Four appearance in 12 years.

### Panathinaikos found its feet and never looked back

Panathinaikos faced some ups and downs in the early part of the campaign as a reshaped roster, which included star signings [Mathias Lessort](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/mathias-lessort/003842/), [Kostas Sloukas](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/kostas-sloukas/001926/) and [Dinos Mitoglou](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/konstantinos-mitoglou/007866/), got familiar with one another. But the mid-season addition of [Kendrick Nunn](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/kendrick-nunn/012774/), who debuted in Round 7, gave the Greens a much-needed boost on offense.

Having gone 2-4 to start the season, Nunn’s arrival coincided with a four-game winning streak that gave Panathinaikos a positive record, beating ALBA Berlin on the road before reeling off three straight victories at OAKA against Zalgiris Kaunas, a high-flying Virtus Segafredo Bologna and Valencia Basket. Those triumphs at OAKA were a sign of what was to come for the Greens, who have managed to turn their home court into a fortress.

Panathinaikos also showed what it is capable of by responding to a three-game losing run with three straight road victories at LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne, AS Monaco and EA7 Emporio Armani Milan. Those Monaco and Milan games both went down to the wire – the one at Salle Gaston Medecin even going to overtime – but the Greens showed that they are made for the moment with big plays down the stretch in each contest.

Monaco are to rely on league-leading scorer and former Panathinaikos hero Mike James to extend his 14-game streak of double-digit scoring, whereas the Greens' talismanic leader Kostas Sloukas tries to reproduce the form that saw him magnificently triumph over ASVEL and earn the coveted MVP award.

AS Monaco-Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens | Round 15 Highlights | 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

The streak didn’t end there, though, as Panathinaikos downed Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade at home to make it a four-game winning stretch. A Codi Miller-McIntyre game-winner at the buzzer would see that run come to a halt at Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz, but Ataman’s squad reacted perfectly by putting together another winning streak, beating Valencia on the road – thus doing the double over Alex Mumbru’s side – before downing Anadolu Efes Istanbul, Monaco once again, and Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade, all at home.

Since Round 24, Panathinaikos has also recorded victories against some of the best rosters in the EuroLeague, knocking off Milan (Round 24), Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul (Round 26) and FC Barcelona (Round 31) at home, as well as Real Madrid (Round 27) on the road. Not only was that Real’s first home defeat of the campaign but it was a big statement to the rest of the league: Panathinaikos means business.

Panathinaikos' Jerian Grant has a key role to play for the Greek giants in breaking the rhythm of Real playmaker Facu Campazzo as his team looks to reaffirm top-spot, while we can also look forward to an all-action duel between explosive big men as Guerschon Yabusele goes up against Mathias Lessort.

Real Madrid-Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens | Round 27 Highlights | 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

### Lots of talent, not much playoff experience

Panathinaikos has a two-time EuroLeague champion head coach in Ataman and a three-time winner in guard [Kostas Sloukas](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/kostas-sloukas/001926/), but they are the only people who know what it is like to lift the EuroLeague title. Sloukas is also way out in front in playoff and Final Four appearances, having featured 60 times in postseason basketball. The next-best mark is Ioannis Papapetrou, who has 30 postseason appearances to his name.

In fact, Papapetrou and [Dinos Mitoglou](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/konstantinos-mitoglou/007866/) were both on Panathinaikos’s roster when it lost 3-0 to Real Madrid in 2018-19, the last time the Greens made the playoffs. That was Mitoglou’s first and only trip to the postseason. There are several Panathinaikos players who have got a taste of the playoffs – [Mathias Lessort](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/mathias-lessort/003842/), [Marius Grigonis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/marius-grigonis/002328/), [Luca Vildoza](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/luca-vildoza/007947/), Jerian Grant, and Kostas Antetokounmpo – but it will be the first time for the likes of [Kendrick Nunn](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/kendrick-nunn/012774/), [Juancho Hernangomez](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/juancho-hernangomez/012712/) and [Olek Balcerowski](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/aleksander-balcerowski/007553/).

As such, it will be important for Coach Ataman and Sloukas to lead the way and lean on their past experiences as the Greens go in search of a spot at the Final Four.

2023-24 EUROLEAGUE PLAYOFF TEAMS

The Greens have been a team inspired under first-year head coach Ergin Ataman

Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul is the latest team to punch its ticket for the EuroLeague Playoffs, which is the 10th time in club history that it has reached the postseason.

Fenerbahce makes the playoffs for the 10th time!

Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul is the latest team to punch its ticket for the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Playoffs, which is the 10th time in club history that it has reached the postseason.

Despite not playing on Thursday night, [Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv's loss at FC Barcelona](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/live-blog-fc-barcelona-vs-maccabi-tel-aviv-bc/) guaranteed Fenerbahce's place in the playoffs.

Having started the season with Dimitris Itoudis as head coach, Fenerbahce went 6-7 under the Greek tactician’s orders, although that did include a dismal 1-7 mark on its travels. The decision to dismiss Itoudis came as a surprise, yet Fenerbahce has gone to another level since the arrival of Saras Jasikevicius, who has overseen a 14-5 record and solidified the team’s spot in the playoff places.

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">A journey to history for <a href="https://twitter.com/FBBasketbol?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FBBasketbol</a> since the arrival of Saras Jasikevicius to their bench💯<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EveryGameMatters?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EveryGameMatters</a> <a href="https://t.co/deHgYzjKYh">pic.twitter.com/deHgYzjKYh</a></p>&mdash; Turkish Airlines EuroLeague (@EuroLeague) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague/status/1775815089934729256?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 4, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

### Fenerbahce’s home dominance key

A 15-1 home record is the best in the entire EuroLeague and it is also the basis upon which the Turkish side has made its playoff push. The top nine, excluding Fenerbahce for obvious reasons, have all visited Ulker Sports and Events Hall and come away with a defeat. Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens and Olympiacos Piraeus were the first two playoff teams to fall at Fenerbahce’s home, before the previously unbeaten Real Madrid fell on its sword in Istanbul. However, disappointing defeats on the road continued to hold Fenerbahce back, hence the dismissal of Itoudis.

After sweeping aside Maccabi, 70-99, Real continues its own double-round week by travelling to a Fenerbahce team that has won all four games at home so far this season. Expect a physical affair featuring the top three shot blockers, which are Walter Tavares, Vincent Poirier and Georgios Papagiannis.

Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul-Real Madrid | Round 11 Highlights | 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

In some ways, Jasikevicius picked up where Itoudis left off – at least in terms of home dominance – by beating AS Monaco and Zalgiris Kaunas in Istanbul in successive weeks. Impressively, though, games three and four of the Jasikevicius era included back-to-back road wins, first at ALBA Berlin and then at cross-city rival Anadolu Efes Istanbul. In the space of a week, the Lithuanian coach had doubled what Itoudis’s Fenerbahce achieved, going 2-0 away from Ulker Sports and Events Hall compared to 1-7 under the Greek tactician.

There was a surprise defeat at home to Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade – Fenerbahce’s only loss at home this season – but Jasikevicius’s charges quickly reeled off three straight wins, all at home, against Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv, Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade and FC Bayern Munich. There was a sticky patch between Rounds 22 and 26, with Fenerbahce going 2-3, which included back-to-back losses at Monaco and Panathinaikos, but a high-scoring triumph over Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz in Round 27 got things back on track.

Fenerbahce did what only one team had done beforehand by going to WiZink Center and beating Real, thus doing the double over the EuroLeague leader and reigning champion, before home wins over Valencia Basket and FC Barcelona. There was a narrow loss on the road at EA7 Emporio Armani Milan, but Fenerbahce’s latest win against ALBA Berlin, which featured [a 50-point night from Nigel Hayes-Davis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/nigel-hayes-davis-sets-euroleague-single-game-scoring-record-with-50-points/) has proved to be enough for the team to rubber stamp its spot in the playoffs.

Fenerbahce coach Sarunas Jasikevicius goes up against his former team Barcelona for the first time in a major matchup in the top four race. A key clash takes place in the backcourt between two iconic point guards, as all-time assists leader Nick Calathes confronts the legendary Ricky Rubio.

Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul-FC Barcelona | Round 30 Highlights | 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

### A team made for the Final Four

Jasikevicius took his former team, Barcelona, to the Final Four in three consecutive years between 2021 and 2023, while he also guided Zalgiris to European basketball’s showpiece event in 2018. Will he be able to bring Fenerbahce to the Final Four after a five-year absence?

He certainly has a squad that is capable of doing so. [Nick Calathes](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/nick-calathes/001932/), [Sertac Sanli](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/sertac-sanli/002968/) and [Melih Mahmutoglu](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/melih-mahmutoglu/002969/) – the remaining survivor from the Fenerbahce team that won the 2016-17 title – may be the only players on the roster with a EuroLeague championship to their names, but the squad has plenty of playoff experience. Sanli is looking to reach a fourth straight Final Four, like Jasikevicius, having gone all the way with Efes in 2020-21 before back-to-back trips alongside the Lithuanian coach at Barca.

There are 11 players on this year’s roster who appeared in Fenerbahce’s five-game playoff series against Olympiacos last year. Of those players, [Marko Guduric](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/marko-guduric/004004/) and [Tarik Biberovic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/tarik-biberovic/006961/) reached the Final Four with Fenerbahce in the past, with the former doing so in 2017-18 before they both did so in 2018-19. [Tyler Dorsey](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/tyler-dorsey/009849/) (Olympiacos, 2021-22) and [Nigel Hayes-Davis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/nigel-hayes-davis/008962/) (Barcelona, 2021-22) have previously made it to the Final Four, too. This will be the first time that [Amine Noua](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/amine-noua/006068/) and [Nate Sestina](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/nathan-sestina/profile/011980/) have featured in the EuroLeague Playoffs.

Saras Jasikevicius will now look to end the Turkish side's five-year absence from the Final Four