In the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague roll call, we take a look at five players that had a big impact on their respective games in Round 32.

 Round 32 roll call: Coming up clutch 

### Sumner made sure Zalgiris stayed alive

Zalgiris guard Edmond Sumner could hardly have chosen a better night for the best game so far in his short EuroLeague career. Faced with elimination at home, Zalgiris needed to win by more than 6 points, but trailed steadily into the early third quarter. That's when Sumner combined with Keenan Evans to put Zalgiris in front for good. When Milan crept within 72-68 with 4 minutes left, his three-pointer punctuated a 9-0 Zalgiris response that sealed the deal. Sumner scored 14 of his 17 points in that last quarter-and-a-half, missed but a free throw all night, and posted 5 assists, 3 rebounds and 2 steals. All in just over 15 minutes on court.

Edmond Sumner highlights vs. AX Armani Exchange Milan

### Williams-Goss broke Partizan hearts

Nigel Williams-Goss will always be special to Partizan, his original EuroLeague club, for his heartfelt pre-game address to the fans there following Belgrade's school shooting tragedy during last year's playoffs. But if those fans don't see Williams-Goss on another team with a ball in his hands soon, they'll be happy. Their former point guard helped orchestrate a 14-point comeback over the game's final 13 minutes for a stunning 69-74 road win by Olympiacos on Thursday. In that stretch, Williams-Goss scored 10 of his 17 points and nabbed 2 of his 5 steals to help turn the game around make Partizan's hopes of reaching the postseason that much more difficult.

Nigel Williams-Goss highlights vs. Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade

### Larkin led Efes to a huge road triumph

Shane Larkin stepped up to the plate once again and, in what felt like a must-win situation, guided Anadolu Efes Istanbul to a crucial 76-97 road victory at Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz. In Efes's first road win of 2024, and largest in 15 months, Larkin scored 28 points, making 3 of 4 two-pointers, 5 of 9 threes and all 7 of his free throws. The 31-year-old also had 2 assists, 2 steals and 2 rebounds. It was a massive bounce-back performance from Larkin, who one week earlier had played through an illness but ended up going scoreless for just the third time in his 216 career appearances. This time, his performance led to a 21-point win, which put Efes in the driver's seat in the race for the Play-In Showdown.

Shane Larkin highlights vs. Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz

### Diallo did everything for Monaco

AS Monaco had to fight hard to come back and beat its French League rival LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne 77-87 on Thursday. Alpha Diallo had his fingers all over his side's win, which inched the Monegasques closer to both a playoff berth and home-court advantage. Diallo played a team-high 30 minutes and 33 seconds, scoring 15 points – the second most on the team – on 5-for-6 two-point shooting. He picked up 3 steals and was active on the defensive glass, where he pulled down 5 of his 6 rebounds. He also dished 3 assists and had a +17 in the plus/minus column. His PIR of 26 was the highest of any Monaco player and the best for Diallo since Round 7, when he had a 27 PIR, also against ASVEL.

Alpha Diallo highlights vs. LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne

### Motley dominated the paint against ALBA

Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul center Johnathan Motley ended up being overshadowed by a record-breaking 50-point game by teammate Nigel Hayes-Davis, but the center was as dominant as they come in a 103-68 win over ALBA Berlin. In just 14 minutes on the floor, Motley scored 18 points, shooting 5 for 5 on two-pointers and 8 for 9 from the free-throw line as a result of drawing 8 fouls. He pulled down 5 rebounds, had 2 steals and 1 block. ALBA had no answers for Motley any time he was on the floor.

Johnathan Motley highlights vs. ALBA Berlin

Round 32 roll call: Coming up clutch

Discover how the night unfolded as Nigel Hayes-Davis set the EuroLeague single-game scoring record with his 50-point night for Fenerbahçe Beko against ALBA Berlin.

How Nigel Hayes-Davis broke the single-game scoring record, twice

[Nigel Hayes-Davis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/nigel-hayes-davis/008962/) felt it could be a productive night as his Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul side [prepared to face ALBA Berlin](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/live-blog-fenerbahce-beko-istanbul-vs-alba-berlin/) on Friday evening. And it sure was.

“I had it written in my notes at the beginning of the season that I wanted to break the scoring record this year,” Hayes-Davis said after [his 50-point outing](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/nigel-hayes-davis-sets-euroleague-single-game-scoring-record-with-50-points/).

He felt that this could be a special night.

"I didn’t know I was going to score 50, I just knew I was going to shoot the ball a lot,” Hayes revealed to the TV cameras afterward, all while holding on to the game ball.

Nigel Hayes-Davis of Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul became the first player in Turkish Airlines EuroLeague history to score 50 points, doing so in a win against ALBA Berlin in Round 32 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.

Hayes-Davis speaks after breaking the single-game scoring record

From the very first to the very last Fenerbahce possession in the game, Hayes-Davis was dropping buckets. He opened the scoring and had 18 points in the first quarter, had 21 at the break, then bagged 15 points in the third quarter and 14 points in the fourth.

His record-setting bucket came with 18 seconds to go after he received the ball in Fenerbahce's half of the court, only to slalom through ALBA's defense, which was eager to prevent him from getting the record.

"I’m very proud of myself and the work and everything I put in,” Hayes-Davis commented, carefully choosing his words.

On this historic night, he made 9 of 11 two-pointers and knocked down 9 triples – one shy of the EuroLeague’s all-time record – on 16 attempts. Both figures were his personal bests in five EuroLeague seasons and 165 career games.

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="tr" dir="ltr">50 sayı ile EuroLeague’de bir maçta en fazla skor üreten oyuncu ünvanının sahibi olan Nigel Hayes-Davis’in bu akşamki tüm sayıları! 👇✨<a href="https://twitter.com/NIGEL_HAYES?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NIGEL_HAYES</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/YellowLegacy?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#YellowLegacy</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EuroLeague?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EuroLeague</a> <a href="https://t.co/PcHDXJRZQO">pic.twitter.com/PcHDXJRZQO</a></p>&mdash; Fenerbahçe Beko (@FBBasketbol) <a href="https://twitter.com/FBBasketbol/status/1773828430078918703?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 29, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

### A misunderstanding that almost had consequences

But the scoring record, no matter how hot Hayes-Davis was, almost never happened because at halftime, he was mistakenly told the record was 41 points.

"I said: ‘I can do that!’” Hayes-Davis recalled, given that at halftime he was sitting on 21 points and thought he was more than halfway towards the (wrong) mark.

So, when he hit a three-pointer and immediately followed it up with a fastbreak basket to reach 43 points, he purposely committed a foul to be pulled out of the game with 3:27 left on the clock in the fourth quarter.

Hayes-Davis got a standing ovation from a sellout crowd that was a little surprised he was leaving the game with the record within his reach. On the sidelines, he was hugged and congratulated by the Fenerbahce coaches and his teammates, all of whom were in a celebratory mood as the hosts were en route to a big home win.

"When I got it, I came out and told Saras \[Jasikevicius\]: 'Alright, I got it.’"

Only, he did not.

His 43 points were the second-best scoring performance in EuroLeague history, yet still six behind [Shane Larkin](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/shane-larkin/007200/)'s historic night on November 29, 2019.

That's when the twist came.

"Ilker \[Ucer, Fenerbahce’s communications and media relations manager\] came to me and told me: 'Nigel, you are going to kill me. The record is 49.’"

<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The BIG 50 for <a href="https://twitter.com/NIGEL_HAYES?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NIGEL_HAYES</a> 👀<br><br>Check out all the angles on the 50th points that got him the NEW EUROLEAGUE RECORD FOR MOST POINTS IN A SINGLE GAME! 🤤😍 <a href="https://t.co/vVtljc8kNE">pic.twitter.com/vVtljc8kNE</a></p>&mdash; Turkish Airlines EuroLeague (@EuroLeague) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague/status/1774017956894093641?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 30, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> 

So, just when everyone thought – Hayes-Davis included – that his night was over, the Fenerbahce forward checked back into the action, some 90 seconds of real time after leaving the game.

"I turned around and told Saras: ‘How often has someone scored \[50\] in Europe? It's near impossible.’ He looked at me, everybody in the crowd stood up and put up six \[fingers\]."

That was how many more points Hayes-Davis needed to catch Larkin, while needing seven to become the first player to ever score 50 points in a EuroLeague game. He had 3 minutes and 2 seconds to do it.

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="und" dir="ltr">50.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/YellowLegacy?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#YellowLegacy</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EuroLeague?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EuroLeague</a> <a href="https://t.co/qvCdnU9t7Q">pic.twitter.com/qvCdnU9t7Q</a></p>&mdash; Fenerbahçe Beko (@FBBasketbol) <a href="https://twitter.com/FBBasketbol/status/1773802546659782660?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 29, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Hayes-Davis quickly got to the foul line twice, making 3 of 4 free throws to increase his tally to 46 points. The entire team did their part, with his teammates looking to get the ball into his hands on every offensive possession, almost desperately, all while ALBA was defending him with double-teams, not wanting the record to be broken against them.

Meanwhile, Fenerbahce basically played defense with four players as Hayes-Davis kept lurking to race on a fastbreak.

That's exactly what happened with 58 seconds to go, when [Yam Madar](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/yam-madar/011052/) picked up the loose ball and sent a full-court pass to an all-alone Hayes-Davis, who got an easy basket to move to 48.

Fenerbahce had three more possessions, but Hayes-Davis needed to wait until the very final one and live through a rare coach's challenge in the final minute of a game decided by 35 points, before eventually giving the fans a moment they will never forget – a chance to witness history.

"It was very scary and shaky, sometimes, but it is a huge honor,” Hayes-Davis commented.

### A delighted Saras Jasikevicius

Coach Jasikevicius was all smiles during the post-game interviews, too, probably happier than we have ever seen him before.

"To witness 50 points in European basketball is incredible,” Jasikevicius said. "An incredible endurance by him. At the end of the game, he had so much mileage on his legs and he was running like it was the first quarter."

Saras Jasikevicius spoke to the cameras after Nigel Hayes-Davis scored a Turkish Airlines EuroLeague single-game record of 50 points in Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul's win against ALBA Berlin in Round 32 of the 2023-24 season.

Coach Jasikevicius on Hayes-Davis' magical night

Jasikevicius, a four-time EuroLeague champion as a player, kept praising the forward he brought to Zalgiris Kaunas in 2019, to FC Barcelona in 2021, and who he reunited with at Fenerbahce when he took over the team in December 2023.

"Obviously, it's a huge testament to how professional he is and how he is practicing. He is practicing with this type of intensity and dedication. This could not have happened to a bigger professional,” the Fenerbahce boss added.

"The best thing about Nigel, since our days in Zalgiris, in Barcelona, \[is that\] he doesn't give up. Whatever the tough situation is, he doesn't give up. He comes to work every day."

Jasikevicius pointed out that Hayes-Davis has been able to realize his full potential at Fenerbahce, where he has regularly been able to play at the “four” position, rather than at the “three”.

"It was clear he was going to take off because there was more responsibility on his shoulders, and there was no question through the years he was ready for that. It is an incredible accomplishment," Saras concluded on a night that will forever be etched in EuroLeague history.

<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="tr" dir="ltr">Alba Berlin maçımızın &#39;HERO&#39; anı ve bu karşılaşmada ürettiği 50 sayıyla modern <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EuroLeague</a> tarihinin kahramanı! 🦸‍♂️<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BenimKahraman%C4%B1m?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BenimKahramanım</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MyHero?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MyHero</a> <a href="https://t.co/UIwRKpcsxl">pic.twitter.com/UIwRKpcsxl</a></p>&mdash; Fenerbahçe Beko (@FBBasketbol) <a href="https://twitter.com/FBBasketbol/status/1774044137261568431?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 30, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> 

Game News

Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul's Nigel Hayes-Davis basks in the glory after scoring 50 points in his team's win against ALBA Berlin in Round 32 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.

The 29-year-old beat Shane Larkin’s previous record by scoring 50 points in Round 32 

Journey to history: How Nigel Hayes-Davis broke the single-game scoring record, twice

Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul v ALBA Berlin (2024-03-29T17:45:00.000Z)

Check out the top performers statistically from Round 32 of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season.

 Individual highs: Nigel Hayes-Davis, Fenerbahce, 50 points 

[Points](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/stats/expanded/?size=25&viewType=traditional&seasonCode=E2023&statisticMode=perGame&seasonMode=Single&sortDirection=descending&statistic=score)

[Nigel Hayes-Davis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/nigel-hayes-davis/008962/) of Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul set the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague's [all-time single game record with 50 points](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/nigel-hayes-davis-sets-euroleague-single-game-scoring-record-with-50-points/). AS Monaco's [Mike James](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/mike-james/005985/) remains the league's scoring leader with 18.8 points per game.

[Rebounds](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/stats/expanded/?size=25&viewType=traditional&seasonCode=E2023&statisticMode=perGame&seasonMode=Single&sortDirection=descending&statistic=totalRebounds)

FC Bayern Munich center [Serge Ibaka](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/serge-ibaka/003583/) pulled down 12 rebounds, the most in Round 32. [Josh Nebo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/josh-nebo/011199/) of Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv is this season's rebounds leader with 7.2 per night.

[Assists](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/stats/expanded/?size=25&viewType=traditional&seasonCode=E2023&statisticMode=perGame&seasonMode=Single&sortDirection=descending&statistic=assistances)

LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne's [Nando De Colo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/nando-de-colo/002100/) had 9 assists, more than any other player this round. [Codi Miller-McIntyre](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/codi-miller-mcintyre/009048/) of Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz leads the league with 7.1 assists per game.

[Steals](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/stats/expanded/?size=25&viewType=traditional&seasonCode=E2023&statisticMode=perGame&seasonMode=Single&sortDirection=descending&statistic=steals)

Olympiacos Piraeus guard [Nigel Williams-Goss](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/nigel-williams-goss/007982/) led all players with a career-best 5 steals in Round 32.  [Paris Lee](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/paris-lee/011225/) of ASVEL and [Jerian Grant](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/jerian-grant/011204/) of Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens share the season-long lead with 1.7 steals per game.

[Blocks](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/stats/expanded/?size=25&viewType=traditional&seasonCode=E2023&statisticMode=perGame&seasonMode=Single&sortDirection=descending&statistic=blocksFavour)

Bayern's Ibaka had 3 blocks, the most this round. [Vincent Poirier](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/vincent-poirier/004887/) of Real Madrid is league's top shot blocker, averaging 1.5 blocks.

[Double-doubles](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/stats/expanded/?size=25&viewType=miscellaneous&seasonCode=E2023&statisticMode=accumulated&seasonMode=Single&sortDirection=descending&statistic=doubleDoubles)

The two double-doubles this round belonged to Ibaka (17 points, 12 rebounds) and Real Madrid's [Walter Tavares](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/walter-tavares/005791/) (11 points, 11 rebounds).

Individual highs: Nigel Hayes-Davis, Fenerbahce, 50 points

A historic individual performance punctuated a round full of soaring accomplishments.

 Round 32 MVP: Nigel Hayes-Davis, Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul 

[Nigel Hayes-Davis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/nigel-hayes-davis/008962/) made history in leading Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul to a 103-68 rout of ALBA Berlin by becoming the [first player ever to score 50 points in a Turkish Airlines EuroLeague game](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/nigel-hayes-davis-sets-euroleague-single-game-scoring-record-with-50-points/), which was more than enough to earn him the MVP award for Round 32.

Hayes-Davis scored the first 10 points of the game, had 18 points after 10 minutes, then scored 29 in the second half, including 14 in the final quarter. He finished the game making 9 of 11 on two-pointers, 9 of 16 three-pointers – both personal bests – and 5 of 7 free throws. He also had 2 rebounds, 1 steal and 6 fouls draw to accumulate a career-high performance index rating of 46, which set a new Fenerbahce club record and tied for EuroLeague's highest PIR since 2020..

On the night he set the single-game scoring record, surpassing the old mark of 49 set by Shane Larkin in November 2019, Hayes-Davis also earned his second MVP of the Round honor, his first having come in February of 2023, also in a home win over ALBA.

Nigel Hayes-Davis made Turkish Airlines EuroLeague history in leading Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul to a 103-68 rout of ALBA Berlin by becoming the first-ever player to score 50 points in a EuroLeague game, while earning MVP of the Round award in the process.

Nigel Hayes-Davis | Round 32 MVP | 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

This round's second best PIR, 40, belongs to [Dzanan Musa](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/dzanan-musa/006540/) of Real Madrid. In a come-from-behind 101-94 win over the visiting Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade, Musa scored 30 points, had 4 rebounds, 2 assists and drew 9 fouls without committing a single foul or a turnover. The two next-best performers this round come from Crvena Zvezda in the same game. [Nemanja Nedovic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/nemanja-nedovic/000848/) netted 30 points along with 5 assists and 4 rebounds for a PIR of 32 while [Adam Hanga](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/adam-hanga/005099/) had 22 points, 7 assists and 6 rebounds for a PIR of 31. Rounding out the list of top Round 32 performers, with a 30 PIR, was Fenerbahce center [Johnathan Motley](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/johnathan-motley/011157/), who shined with 18 points, 5 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 block and 8 drawn fouls in only 14 minutes of action against ALBA.

Round 32 MVP: Nigel Hayes-Davis, Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul

FC Bayern Munich v FC Barcelona (2024-03-28T19:30:00.000Z)

LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne v AS Monaco (2024-03-28T20:00:00.000Z)

Real Madrid v Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade (2024-03-29T19:30:00.000Z)

Virtus Segafredo Bologna v Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens (2024-03-29T19:30:00.000Z)

Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade v Olympiacos Piraeus (2024-03-28T19:30:00.000Z)

Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv v Valencia Basket (2024-03-27T19:30:00.000Z)

Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz v Anadolu Efes Istanbul (2024-03-28T19:30:00.000Z)

Zalgiris Kaunas v EA7 Emporio Armani Milan (2024-03-28T18:00:00.000Z)

Vladimir Dumanovic beat everyone else in Round 31 of the EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge with his team Vladimir Dumanovic, which had a Fantasy Challenge score of 232.65.

EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge Round 32 winner

Konstantinos Chondrokostas beat everyone else in Round 32 of the [EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge](https://euroleaguefantasy.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/home) with his team Ntic, which had a Fantasy Challenge score of 267.90.

Konstantinos had the following lineup: team captain Nigel Hayes-Davis of Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul, then Fenerbahce teammate Johnathan Motley, Real Madrid's Mario Hezonja, Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade's Nemanja Nedovic and Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens's Kendrick Nunn as the other starters.

His sixth man was Jerian Grant of Panathinaikos. On the bench, he also had Kevarrius Hayes of Zalgiris Kaunas, Tarik Biberovic of Fenerbahce, Aleksa Avramovic of Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade and Elijah Bryant of Anadolu Efes Istanbul. His head coach was Fenerbahce boss Saras Jasikevicius.

The prize for finishing first in Round 32 is a free subscription to Euroleague TV for the 2024-25 season, so congratulations, Konstantinos!

Ilias Preveza stays as the leader of the EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge overall standings with 5,862.90 points.

Trades are now open for Round 33. We are back to three trades per round after unlimited trades in Round 32.

The first games in Round 33 — Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade vs. Olympiacos Piraeus and AS Monaco vs. Zalgiris Kaunas — tip off on Thursday, April 4, at 19:00 CET. Those fixtures mark the deadline to get trades done, so don’t leave it too late.

Make new teams now or improve your existing ones and try to become our next round winner in the EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge!

Turkish Airlines EuroLeague fans, we have our 32nd winner in the EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge!

Ahead of the EuroLeague's Hoop District tournament, Geoff Gillingham caught up with Dimitris Kyrsanidis, the Team Athens captain.

Getting to know: Dimitris Kyrsanidis, Team Athens captain

Today is the day – [Hoop District](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/euroleague-basketball-launches-3x3-content-creators-tournament-hoop-district/) is here! Ahead of the action getting underway in Paris, France, we spoke with Team Athens captain [Dimitris Kyrsanidis](https://www.instagram.com/dimitris_dk_kyrsanidis/), who also goes by ‘DK’, to get to know him a little better.

All week long, we have been posting ‘getting to know’ [interviews with the Hoop District captains](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/carousels/hoop-district/?q=%7B%22articleId%22%3A%2261e015cd-793a-43d3-b751-70262c7c9947%22%2C%22relatedCategories%22%3A%5B%5D%2C%22specificContent%22%3A%5B%5D%2C%22tags%22%3A%5B%222324hoopdistrict%22%5D%7D&carouselTitle=HOOP%20DISTRICT). Here’s what we found out during our conversation with DK. 

**Tell us about yourself. Who is DK?**

“I’m a guy who loves what he is doing. I love sports, and since I was a kid I’ve been trying to do everything perfectly. I’ve been training really hard to achieve my goals. I’ve been playing basketball for three years now – before that, I had never touched a basketball – so I’m really happy to have made it to the point I’m at right now. I’m a five-time parkour world champion and that was my main activity so far, up until I found basketball in the second quarantine. I just fell in love with it! I started training every single day, I’ve been watching videos on how to shoot the ball, how to dribble, how to… everything on YouTube. Then, it instantly became my passion and it changed my life. Again.”

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<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/C5BZdukM7O4/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/C5BZdukM7O4/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank"> <div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div></div></div><div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;"><svg width="50px" height="50px" viewBox="0 0 60 60" version="1.1" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g stroke="none" stroke-width="1" fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd"><g transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)" fill="#000000"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path></g></g></g></svg></div><div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style=" color:#3897f0; 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transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)"></div></div><div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style=" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"></div></div></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"></div></div></a><p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/C5BZdukM7O4/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Dimitris Dk&#39; Kyrsanidis (@dimitris_dk_kyrsanidis)</a></p></div></blockquote> <script async src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>

**What was the thing that got you into basketball three years ago?**

“My wife has a brother who is way younger than me, but he used to play basketball. We first started dating almost four and a half years ago, then three years ago her brother asked me if I wanted to play \[basketball\] one on one one day. I just went on YouTube and put: ‘How to shoot a basketball’. We played one on one – I didn’t know any rules or anything – and we played up until 30 points. It was 30-2 to me! I liked it so much that during the second quarantine, we went outside together with a couple of friends and we started playing. I just fell in love with it and since then I have beaten people who have played 10-15 years in one on one, then I started playing five on five, which is completely different. But that’s how I started.”

**As a five-time parkour world champ, are you always trying to mix skills from parkour with basketball?**

“Yes, but not only with basketball. I’ve been doing parkour for 16 years now and since the beginning, I was combining parkour with breakdancing, then I found skateboarding and after some time I could do a flip, land on the board and then do a kickflip, so I was always trying to combine parkour with everything that I was doing. And that’s the magical thing about parkour as well because it’s something you can do anywhere and any time. You don’t need special equipment or any special ground. You can use the environment to your liking, and that’s exactly what I was doing. I think it’s the only sport that you can actually combine with everything there is. For example, I can do it on the floor, I can do it on a bar, I can do it on the street, on a tree… think of something and I can do parkour there, so that’s what attracted me to parkour as well.”

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overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/C4Yl9nks1CD/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Dimitris Dk&#39; Kyrsanidis (@dimitris_dk_kyrsanidis)</a></p></div></blockquote> <script async src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>

**Is there a particular basketball memory that particularly stands out for you?**

“Last summer, I went to [\[Georgios\] Printezis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/georgios-printezis/amm/)’s event. He’s doing an event in his birthplace, Syros, and it’s called AegeanBall Festival. They invited me to play in the celebrity game! I went there and in the first round, we had to play against Printezis’s team – and we won! I scored the last point. In the beginning, we were winning 5-2 or something and Printezis was really chilled. I just kept going, I had really good teammates and we started scoring everything. After that, he started giving his all and they caught up to us. I think we were losing 11-10 and we had 10-15 seconds on the clock, so I scored a three and we went up 12-11, then they lost the ball and we won the game. Every other team was pretty easy to beat, so we won the cup. I never expected something like that to happen, it was crazy.”

**Who are your favorite players in the EuroLeague?**

“I would say that [Mathias Lessort](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/mathias-lessort/003842/) is one of the craziest guys I’ve ever seen. [\[Mario\] Hezonja](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/mario-hezonja/003108/) from Real Madrid is one of the guys I really look up to. When I went to Panathinaikos versus Real, Real beat Panathinaikos pretty easily – it was like a walk in the park at that point – and every single Panathinaikos fan was clapping and congratulating Hezonja. I witnessed that and I was like, ‘No way that’s happening!’ In sports, especially in football, everybody hates the opponent. They start booing, all this sort of stuff, then I witnessed that. I’m not even a Panathinaikos fan and I thought it was crazy. One fan got Hezonja’s jersey and he was showing it to the crowd and I was like, ‘They just lost the game by 20 points, what are they doing?’ But I really respected that. So since then, Hezonja. Overall, Lessort because I met him last year at Printezis’s event and we were actually together in the same team the next day. I told the organization: ‘I want to play with the big names, the A1 guys.’ They told me it would be hard, they didn’t know how they’ll do it, but if I win the celebrity game, they’ll put me in – and that’s when I won. They put me in his team and it was crazy. At the after-party, he even told me that when I come to Athens, we should train together if he has time. Crazy.”

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overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C0kTKp-sQZo/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Dimitris Dk&#39; Kyrsanidis (@dimitris_dk_kyrsanidis)</a></p></div></blockquote> <script async src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>

**What criteria did you look for when picking your team?**

“For the girls, I just wanted to have girls in the team because we had so many difficulties in finding girls, unfortunately. For example, if we go to the park right now, I will easily find some guys. But girls, you won’t see any there, so it was really hard. The girls that I found are from teammates or past teammates because it was really hard. From the boys’ perspective, it was a friend of mine who I’ve been playing with since the beginning. He’s in charge of putting me into games and teams and stuff so I can gain experience, then he told me to try this guy and since then we’ve been playing together. He’s a really cool guy. He’s a guy who shoots threes – that’s what I was looking for and that’s the answer.”

**What does it mean for you to be a Team Captain?**

“I never expected something like this to happen, you know? I have mixed feelings because I feel great on the one hand, but at the same time I know I’m the guy who is the least experienced compared to the others. I feel great, but at the same time I feel weird because I don’t want to mess things up.”

Hoop District

Dimitris Kyrsanidis, Team Athens captain for the inaugural Hoop District tournament.

This is the last of six interviews with the Hoop District team captains

Ergin Ataman was not too impressed with his Panathinaikos BC side on Friday night, despite coming away with a win at Virtus Bologna.

Honest Ataman wants improvement after thrilling road win in Bologna

After watching his team take what looked like a blowout win and turn it into a nail-biting finale before finally sealing a vital road victory, Ergin Ataman was honest enough to admit that [Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens left Friday’s 79-81 thriller against Virtus Segafredo Bologna](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/live-blog-virtus-bologna-vs-panathinaikos-bc/) with plenty of room for improvement.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Coach Ataman made it clear! 🤭<br><br>Good night, Greens ☘️💚<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://t.co/JGk5SXi40Z">pic.twitter.com/JGk5SXi40Z</a></p>&mdash; Panathinaikos BC (@paobcgr) <a href="https://twitter.com/paobcgr/status/1773854527587778883?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 29, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

The Greens were unstoppable early on, racing into a double-digit lead by scoring 28 points in the first quarter, making its first six three-point attempts and leading the rebounding battle 15-5 as Virtus struggled to contain the Greek team’s confident ball movement and physicality in the paint. 

By halftime Panathinaikos led 39-51, and there was no sign that any trouble lie around the corner when the second half started with [Mathias Lessort](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/mathias-lessort/003842/) and [Dinos Mitoglou](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/konstantinos-mitoglou/007866/) scoring inside the arc.

But then the Greens totally lost their way as Virtus veterans [Toko Shengelia](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/tornike-shengelia/001133/) and [Marco Belinelli](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/marco-belinelli/bcn/) – who combined for 36 points – led their team back into the game and close to a famous victory. 

Small details ultimately decided the game, as the final two possessions saw [Iffe Lundberg](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/iffe-lundberg/010781/) miss a three-pointer and [Kendrick Nunn](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/kendrick-nunn/012774/) sink a buzzer-beating, game-winning floater that took a couple of hops off the rim before dropping through the net.

Following a progressive campaign thus far, Virtus find themselves in free-fall succumbing to four successive defeats. They hope that the experienced Toko Shengelia can contain the marauding presence of Mathias Lessort and Dinos Mitoglou as the Greens clamour to cement their position in the top-four.

Virtus-Panathinaikos | Round 32 Highlights | 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague18361351.mp4

### Ataman unimpressed, despite the win

Two-time champion Ataman, though, was not in a mood to celebrate too much as he acknowledged the flaws of his team’s performance. 

“After the fantastic first half, in the second half we didn’t play well,” admitted the Turkish coach. “We made a lot of mistakes, we missed shots, we made turnovers, we missed free throws. Thirty points in the second half is not enough."

It was just about enough on this occasion, leaving opposing coach Luca Banchi to reflect on a worrying slide as his team lost for the fifth game in a row.

“Details can decide games like this,” said the frustrated Virtus boss. "And we need to be sharper after such a long season, not repeating the same mistakes.”

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="qme" dir="ltr">🫡☘️<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://t.co/1DywZGNig3">pic.twitter.com/1DywZGNig3</a></p>&mdash; Panathinaikos BC (@paobcgr) <a href="https://twitter.com/paobcgr/status/1773838409657618620?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 29, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Whatever the complaints of the coaches, however, the back-and-forth battle certainly provided plenty of thrills for fans. 

Leading scorer [Kostas Sloukas](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/kostas-sloukas/001926/), with 20 points, was caught up in the excitement as he reflected: “The desire of both teams was amazing. It was not a normal game, it was a playoffs game. Virtus is a great team, they fight incredibly over here. We fight also, and I think fans enjoy that kind of game.”

We certainly did... even if the coaches didn’t.

Jerian Grant of Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens is guarded by Bryant Dunston of Virtus Segafredo Bologna in Round 32 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.

Panathinaikos kept pushing for home-court advantage in the playoffs, thanks to Kendrick Nunn's game-winning shot

Dzanan Musa and Mario Hezonja ensured that Real Madrid Baloncesto could beat KK Crvena zvezda, scoring 50 of their team's 101 points in a 101-94 win.

Real Madrid refused to roll over in comeback win against Crvena Zvezda

Trailing by 16 points to Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade in the third quarter at home, the Real Madrid players eventually woke up and realized they were representing Real Madrid. They could not accept losing a game in that manner.

Real stormed back behind [Dzanan Musa](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/dzanan-musa/006540/) and [Mario Hezonja](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/mario-hezonja/003108/) for [a thrilling 101-94 victory](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/live-blog-real-madrid-baloncesto-vs-kk-crvena-zvezda/), which was the team’s fourth straight win.

Neither team had anything to really play for – Real had already clinched first place and Zvezda had already been eliminated from the race for the Play-In Showdown. Still, Zvezda built a 54-70 lead midway through the third quarter.

Real punched back with 13 straight points and would even the game at 75-75. Eventually, Real pulled ahead 86-85 and Hezonja had a big steal and dunk to make it 96-93.

With Los Blancos already assured of first-place, Head Coach Chus Mateo is likely to spread playing time across his roster, including young Hugo Gonzalez. They welcome already-eliminated Zvezda, who aim to end 23/24 on a high by building on a victory over Virtus, propelled by 25 from Nemanja Nedovic.

Real Madrid-Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade| Round 32 Highlights | 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

“This shows our character that we want to win all the time. It doesn’t matter if it is a crucial game or something like this,” said Musa, who tallied 30 points.

“We realized that we are Real Madrid and we cannot let that slip away so easily. You cannot come into our house and beat us easily. We were prepared for anything and just wanted to defend our home court.”

### A question of concentration and focus

Following Friday night’s triumph, Real improved to 26-6 on the season and 14-2 at home.

“Our team does not want to lose any game. And they made an extra effort. They knew that this game had no importance for the standings. But it was very good how they tried their best,” Real head coach Chus Mateo noted.

“It is not easy to keep the same concentration for every game. We demand them to be ready all the time. This opponent is very good. They have to keep the same concentration from the beginning of September until the end of June. It is not easy. Sometimes there are ups and downs. But most important is the character that we have. And that we are able to come back again.”

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="und" dir="ltr">🏁 FP: <a href="https://twitter.com/RMBaloncesto?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RMBaloncesto</a> 101 - 94 <a href="https://twitter.com/kkcrvenazvezda?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@kkcrvenazvezda</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EuroLeague?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EuroLeague</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/UnicajaBanco?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@UnicajaBanco</a> <a href="https://t.co/RFDFREilo3">pic.twitter.com/RFDFREilo3</a></p>&mdash; Real Madrid Basket (@RMBaloncesto) <a href="https://twitter.com/RMBaloncesto/status/1773824609386745908?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 29, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Hezonja said the team expects to win every game, even when there’s nothing riding on the fixture.

"We respect all of our rivals, but if we are 100 percent \[focused\] on the defensive end and we take care of the ball offensively with few turnovers, I think we are a pretty good chance to win the game,” the forward commented.

The win might not have meant anything in the standings, but the fact that Real fought back so quickly shows just how dangerous Real can be.

Mario Hezonja of Real Madrid exclaims during his team's win against Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade in Round 32 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.

Dzanan Musa and Mario Hezonja combined for 50 points on the night

Real Madrid Baloncesto stepped up late to beat KK Crvena zvezda 101-94 in Round 32 of the 2023-24 EuroLeague season.

Real Madrid rallies to beat Crvena Zvezda, 101-94

<incrowd-live-blog id="6604052759f35bd260edcf81" client-id="EUROLEAGUE" server="standard"></incrowd-live-blog><script src="https://live-blog.incrowdsports.com/index.js"></script>

Hugo Gonzalez of Real Madrid is guarded by Nemanja Nedovic of Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade in Round 32 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.

Los Blancos left it late but managed to do enough to grab their 26th win of the campaign