Both teams have been up and down of late.

Sliding Virtus hosts an inconsistent Partizan with playoffs at stake

When Virtus Segafredo Bologna (15-9) and Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade (12-12) [go head-to-head at Virtus Segafredo Arena in Round 25 on Friday night](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2023-24/virtus-segafredo-bologna-partizan-mozzart-bet-belgrade/E2023/224/), there is more at stake than meets the eye. In particular, with the race for the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Playoffs starting to reach boiling point, now is the time for one of these teams to really make a statement.

Virtus was the fairy tale story of the EuroLeague through the first half of the 2023-24 campaign, finding itself among the top three in the standings until an 84-57 loss at FC Barcelona earlier this week. Luca Banchi’s side has sorely missed [Toko Shengelia](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/tornike-shengelia/001133/), who has missed the last three games due to injury, but the truth is that the team’s slide started before then.

### Addressing a slide

In fact, Virtus has won just one of its last five games, which was an unconvincing 73-63 triumph over LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne in Round 22. The alarm bells starting to ring during the previous double-round week as Banchi’s squad suffered back-to-back heavy defeats at Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv (95-78) and Anadolu Efes Istanbul (99-75), with the team’s last road win coming at ALBA Berlin in Round 19.

By losing at Barca, Virtus slipped down to fifth in the standings and a defeat to Partizan would open the door for AS Monaco (14-10) and Olympiacos Piraeus (14-11) to jump above the 2021-22 BKT EuroCup champion in Round 26. There is therefore plenty of importance on Friday night’s fixture against Partizan.

Some good news for Virtus is that Shengelia is expected to return. Shengelia makes all the difference for Virtus as he is not only the team’s best player but is also one of the main leaders. Typically, when he plays well, Virtus tends to follow. That said, when Virtus and Partizan faced off in Belgrade in Round 17, it wasn’t one of Shengelia’s best performances.

Virtus managed to come away with a 75-77 win at Stark Arena on a night that saw Shengelia net 10 points. Instead, it was the likes of [Iffe Lundberg](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/iffe-lundberg/010781/), [Daniel Hackett](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/daniel-hackett/001844/) and [Marco Belinelli](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/marco-belinelli/bcn/) who got the job done in the closing stages of the fourth quarter.

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One of the positive aspects for Coach Banchi’s side is that it is a very impressive 10-1 on its home floor, with its only defeat coming to Zalgiris Kaunas in the opening round of the season. In short, it won’t be an easy task for Partizan on Friday night.

### An inconsistent Partizan

Like Virtus, Partizan is one team at home and an entirely different prospect on the road. While Virtus is 10-1 on its home floor and 5-8 on its travels, Partizan is 9-2 in Belgrade and 3-10 away from the Serbian capital. 

That inconsistency has been laid bare in the results, as the home team has won in every one of Partizan’s games so far in 2024, giving Zeljko Obradovic’s squad a 3-4 record since the turn of the year. Notably, that Virtus victory at Stark Arena was the team’s final fixture of 2023.

Partizan long to recover its usual offensive potency after being held to 72 and 75 points in the last two and hope Bruno Caboclo can lead the way, whilst Virtus harbour similar concerns since netting just 71 and 69 versus Valencia and Olympiacos respectively, even with Marco Belinelli sinking multiple triples.

Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade-Virtus Segafredo Bologna | Round 17 Highlights | 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

Even more interesting is the fact that Partizan had a five-game winning streak between Rounds 11 and 15, covering November 30 to December 19 last year, which saw it rapidly rise up the standings and put itself in playoff contention after a slow start to the season.

Yet, that Round 15 win at Valencia Basket was the last time Partizan won on the road, with the team losing its next five away from home. The sign of a solid playoff team is one that can do the business both at home and on the road, so Partizan will be eager to end its barren run when it visits Bologna and put itself on the right track as we enter the business end of the season.

Just like Virtus, Partizan comes into this Round 25 matchup on the back of a loss after falling 85-70 at AS Monaco. [Kevin Punter](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/kevin-punter/009862/) had a stellar night on the offensive end, scoring a career-high 28 points, but only [Frank Kaminsky](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/frank-kaminsky/012743/) joined him in double figures after netting 17. Usual contributor [James Nunnally](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/james-nunnally/007400/) had just 6, while [P.J. Dozier](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/perry-dozier-jr/012742/) had a goose egg (zero). 

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Another 𝑺𝑶𝑳𝑫 𝑶𝑼𝑻 🔥<br><br>See you on friday Virtussini 🤍🖤<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AmarsiAncora?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AmarsiAncora</a> <a href="https://t.co/PrOEhrN8OC">pic.twitter.com/PrOEhrN8OC</a></p>&mdash; Virtus Segafredo Bologna (@VirtusSegafredo) <a href="https://twitter.com/VirtusSegafredo/status/1751913547162927339?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 29, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Sitting in 11th spot in the standings, just outside the Play-In zone, is hardly ideal for Partizan, but a win in Bologna would see the team go level record-wise with Valencia Basket, Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz and Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv. It is tough to say that a Round 25 game is a must-win, but it certainly feels like that.

Partizan certainly has the firepower to cause plenty of problems for Virtus, so there’s no reason to think that the Serbian outfit cannot heap more misery on a sliding Virtus. Just like last year, there are expected to be plenty of Partizan fans in attendance, so they will be cheering on their team and hoping they can make it feel like a home game, where Obradovic’s side tends to have more success. 

It should be a really fun game to watch, regardless of the outcome, so make sure to tune in from 20:30 CET. You won’t regret it.

Virtus Segafredo Bologna v Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade (2024-02-02T19:30:00.000Z)

The EuroLeague rookie explains how he re-discovered his heritage, how proud he is to represent it, and about the messages he offers Native American youth facing difficult situations.

Efes forward Derek Willis on re-discovering his Native American heritage

The life journey of Anadolu Efes Istanbul forward [Derek Willis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/derek-willis/009664/) has an origin that is rare in elite pro basketball, having started as he did on a Native American reservation.

Pro players of Native American heritage are relatively few, and even fewer have played on the European side of the Atlantic Ocean.

In the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague, Sandy Cohen played two seasons with Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv of Israel. In the EuroCup, Bronson Koenig played one season with Montenegrin side Mornar Bar.

Willis's mother, Trudy, belongs to three Native American tribes: Southern Arapahoe, Creek and Pawnee. As a child, Derek lived in Wyoming on the Wind River Indian Reservation.

"I wanted to represent my heritage and culture, so I felt that it would be cool to have Native American-themed tattoos."

Even though he remembers little of those times, Derek knows the stories of how rough the life was, especially for young people.

"We lived on a farm, but there was one man who owned the property and we were in separate house on another part of the property," Willis explains. "Our nearest neighbor was about two miles down the road, everything was spread out and you really don't have much to do."

As a five-year old, Derek moved with his dad to Kentucky.

"When me and my dad left to go back to Kentucky, you get out of that environment and then, you're just a kid, not really worried about culture and where you come from," Willis said.

Once he arrived at University of Kentucky, a collegiate powerhouse with a fan base not unlike those seen in Europe, Willis had a desire to re-discover and learn more about his Native American heritage, an idea that was sparked by a the many Native Americans who were already following and supporting his budding basketball career. 

"You have a whole different culture that doesn't even really know you, but they just know you're Native," he says. "And they are wanting you to represent for those kids, and really help them see the light at the end of the tunnel."

One visible and certainly a very personal way to nurture his heritage was putting ink on his body.

"I wanted to represent my heritage and culture, so I felt that it would be cool to have Native American-themed tattoos."

Willis ended up getting four tattoos, and there is always a chance he will get more down the road. Three that are always visible on Willis's arms are a Native American headdress on his left shoulder, a skull on his right shoulder and a Dreamcatcher on his left forearm. He also has a wolf on his rib cage.

"They all represent Native American culture. The Native American chief is huge in Native American culture. It's your leader, he's done a lot to get to that position," Willis says.

Then, there was his desire to find a way to help Native American community. In the position Willis was in at the time, a college basketball star playing for one of biggest basketball schools in the entire United States, automatically made him a role model for the Native American youth. So, visiting reservations and doing basketball camps was a chance to try to make the difference.

"The culture is slowly dying off. The language is pretty much dead now. The people are just holding on."

On one hand, that led to Willis seeing many beautiful things, but on the other, it re-affirmed for him the deeply rooted problems Native American population is dealing with.

"The nature is beautiful. If you like being outdoors, it's great to go see, go visit," Willis said.

"Also, in the reservation I grew up on, they have this festival called the Sun Dance Festival where you fast for three days. You don't eat, you just drink water. And the whole time you pray. It was just such a cool experience to see, and just be a part of that and see how these people were preparing for it."

Willis also got to witness how much Native American kids love sports, and how basketball is particularly popular among them.

"Basketball is definitely huge out there. A lot of the kids, they do cross-country, track and then basketball."

But Willis also has seen many alcohol, drugs and gambling issues, with many people living off U.S. government checks they receive through their tribes. That is in addition to the fact that many Native Americans don't feel that they're well represented.

"It's almost getting to the point where they're not forgotten, but the culture is slowly dying off. The language is pretty much dead now. The people are just holding on to what they have," Willis said.

These are all sad realities of the Native Americans' life. And while Willis does not have a quick solution, one point he always tried to make across was: Just want more for yourself. He hopes his example can motivate young people to do that if they see that "this \[guy\] came from where I come from, and if I just stick to it, really try and pursue something, then I can get out of this situation."

Efes forward is realistic, however, when he says that things are far from being just that easy.

"I'm not around the kids daily to really affect them. I hope I can affect them in some sort of way. But I want that whole culture to just want more for themselves. That's the point I was wanting to give to the kids," Willis says. "And if I can give them some kind of initiative, that's great."

Unexpected heroes stepped up for injury-hit Baskonia 

Injuries to Tadas Sedekerskis, Matt Costello and Khalifa Diop left Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz very short of bodies at the "five" position ahead of Thursday’s crucial clash with Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv, making it clear that its only remaining big men, Maik Kotsar and Chima Moneke, would have to get through plenty of work in a must-win game against a direct rival.

The fact that Moneke produced a monster performance was not at all surprising. The 28-year-old is enjoying a magnificent season, heading into the game with averages of 7.1 rebounds (3rd-best in the league), 14.2 points (11th) and 19.3 PIR (3rd), so Baskonia fans will have been delighted but not exactly shocked to see him rise to the challenge with 15 points and 15 rebounds in more than 36 minutes on the floor.

Chima Moneke posted a double-double against Maccabi

Moneke’s stellar contribution helped Baskonia claim a golden victory, 92-82, that not only leaves it tied with Maccabi on 13-12 but also narrowly gives the Spanish team the head-to-head tiebreak advantage after losing by 8 to Maccabi earlier in the season.

But he was certainly not alone, because the team-high PIR of 26 belonged to a man whose commanding performance was somewhat less expected: Kotsar.

The Estonian center entered the action with modest season averages of 6.0 points and 3.3 rebounds in 18 minutes, but the needs of the team meant that much more was required on Thursday night. And he didn’t disappoint, spending all but 183 seconds of the game on the floor and finishing with 10 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 blocked shots for that PIR of 26. 

Another player who stepped up more than could have been reasonably expected was young Greek forward Niko Rogkavopoulos, who averaged just 4.6 points before Thursday night and hadn’t scored at all in the previous two games. 

But on this occasion he more than played his part, recording 13 points on 3-of-4 three-point shooting, also adding 2 assists and 1 steal in more than 22 minutes of playing time. Rogkavopoulos was particularly important early in the third quarter by scoring 8 points in 4 minutes, helping establish a 19-point lead that would never allow Maccabi to recover. 

And although Moneke’s huge double-double plus Markus Howard’s haul of 26 points claimed the headlines, those stars were eager to hail the contribution of their teammates.

Game Videos

“We have a couple of guys who are injured so we were playing with less players than usual,” said Howard. "But so many guys stepped up. I think Maik being our only 'five' man out there, he played huge. He played really big minutes.”

Moneke focused his praise on Rogkavopoulos, enthusing: “Shout-out to Rogka, he was our X-factor. I think he’s one of the best shooters in Europe and I’m proud of him.

“When we found out we were missing four players I’m sure a lot of people counted us out, but I believe in us. It’s hard to play EuroLeague in general, and to do it without four guys is tough.”

When role players like Kotsar and Rogkavopoulos excel like they did for Baskonia on Thursday, however, it becomes a lot easier.

Game News

Maik Kotsar and Niko Rogkavopoulos rose to the challenge with their team missing three big men to injury. 

Unexpected heroes stepped up for injury-hit Baskonia

Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz v Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv (2024-02-01T19:30:00.000Z)

Thomas Walkup and Filip Petrusev scored 12 of Olympiacos’s 22 points in the fourth quarter and 25 of their team’s 41 points in the second half.

Walkup and Petrusev stepped up for the Reds in second half to down Bayern

Olympiacos Piraeus completed a perfect double-round week by edging past FC Bayern Munich 72-76 following a tough defensive battle at BMW Park on Thursday night. With the game turning into an exchange of blows from the off, both teams needed players to step up and make crucial plays in the second half.

Nick Weiler-Babb nailed a step-back triple to beat the halftime buzzer and Bayern took a 38-35 lead into the second half. Both defenses tightened up after the break and that’s when Olympiacos saw Thomas Walkup and Filip Petrusev come to the fore, with the two men combining smoothly in the paint to make the difference.

Walkup netted just 3 points before the break, while Petrusev scored just one basket. Yet, the former ended the game on a team-high 16 points and produced 8 assists, most of which turned into Petrusev baskets.

Walkup, Petrusev combined for 23 second-half points in Munich

“I felt like there was lots of space,” Walkup said after the game. “I felt like I was playing at my pace. It feels really good when you score, you are making a play and everybody in your team is hyping you up saying ‘Good job’, ‘Keep being aggressive’, ‘That’s it’. When you feel good and you have your teammates’ support, that’s all you can ask for.”

Meanwhile, Petrusev scored 12 of his 14 points in the second half, having gone 6-for-7 from inside the arc and a perfect 2-for-2 from the charity stripe. Walkup nailed a triple that was followed by a bucket to give Olympiacos a 47-48 lead late in the third quarter. Then, he dished an assist for Petrusev’s second basket of the night before scoring another one from inside to take his tally to 12 points and made it 50-52 with 39 seconds remaining. Yet, the highlight of the night came when he lobbed the ball for Petrusev, who beat the third-quarter buzzer with a volleyball move.

The two men scored 12 of Olympiacos’s 22 points in the fourth quarter and 25 of their team’s 41 points in the second half, making the difference when it mattered most. Walkup was instrumental throughout the last 20 minutes, with his teammate, Ignas Brazdeikis, being full of praise for the Olympiacos guard after the game. “That’s what we need from \[Walkup\],” Brazdeikis noted. “To be aggressive like that in every game. He’s such a great leader on and off the court and I’m really happy that he led the way for us and he came out huge.”

Having won both its games this week, Olympiacos will travel to Spain, where it will face Valencia Basket next Thursday. This is expected to be another tight duel between two high-class defenses, but Walkup and Petrusev demonstrated on Thursday night that Olympiacos can produce different heroes in each game.

The two men scored 12 of Olympiacos’s 22 points in the fourth quarter and 25 of their team’s 41 points in the second half.

FC Bayern Munich v Olympiacos Piraeus (2024-02-01T19:30:00.000Z)

Markus Howard's second period would prove to be historic. 

Historic Markus Howard boosted Baskonia 

Things were looking bleak for Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz at the end of the first quarter in Thursday’s crucial encounter with Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv.

The visiting team had produced a smooth offensive exhibition in the opening 10 minutes, with Wade Baldwin proving particularly hard to handle as Maccabi established a 20-26 lead.

Baskonia’s task was further complicated by the fact that key performer Tadas Sedekerskis, the league’s leading rebounder, had been ruled out of the game through injury, joining Matt Costello, Khalifa Diop and Chris Chiozza on the sidelines, leaving a 12-man roster containing three youngsters who have never played a single second in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague.

Enter Markus Howard.

The Spanish team’s offensive talisman had been quiet in the opening quarter, scoring only 2 points after missing all 3 of his three-point attempts. His second period, however, would prove to be historic.

He started off with another layup driving to the basket, before returning to more familiar territory by hitting his first three-pointer of the night. Then came 2 more triples in the next two minutes, before adding another layup after gliding through the defense. He returned to three-point territory to strike again, before adding his seventh and final basket of the quarter – without a single miss - with a neat inside finish.

Markus Howard erupts for 18 points in 2Q

Those heroics gave Baskonia a double-digit lead which provided the foundation for a key 92-82 victory, securing head to head advantage over Maccabi. And it also allowed Howard to set a new club record for second-quarter scoring with 18 points. It was just 1 point short of the Baskonia record for scoring in any quarter, set by Andres Nocioni in 2014.

This wasn’t the first time that Howard’s shooting heroics have boosted Baskonia, and it won’t be the last. But on the night that his short-handed team gained a vital victory and head-to-head advantage over a direct rival in the race for the playoffs, it was surely one of the most important.

The Baskonia shooter erupted for 18 points in the second quarter. 

Real Madrid forward Guerschon Yabusele posted a career-high 26 points as he made 7-of-9 shots from the floor and 11-of-11 from the foul line to cap a blistering individual performance.

Yabusele made sure Real triumphed against his former team

Real Madrid beat LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne 86-79 to notch a 13th successive home win in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague and improve to 22-3 in the current season, staying firmly in the driving seat of the continent’s premier club competition.

ASVEL remained bottom as it slipped to 5-20 and was undone by its former player Guerschon Yabusele, who posted a career-high 26 points as he made 7-of-9 shots from the floor and 11-of-11 from the foul line to cap a blistering individual performance.

Yabusele made light of the absence of several key players, notably towering center Walter Tavares who is nursing a sore ankle, with influential guard Sergio Llull also sitting this one out.

Having been asked whether he was particularly inspired against his former club, Yabusele made it clear with a big smile on his face there was only ever going to be one outcome.

“We always try to bring the best on the court and it was a good night for us,” he said. "I felt good tonight, I have a lot of love for ASVEL but I was never going to let them win here.”

Yabusele went for 26 points against his former team

Following an enthralling 106-101 win over Maccabu Playtika Tel Aviv on Tuesday, Real looked devoid of pace and energy but head coach Chus Mateo made the point that it’s a marathon and not a sprint to the finish line in both major competitions for Real.

“I am very happy because it’s not easy to keep the same level all the time,” he said. “We’ve played 25 games in the EuroLeague already and we’ve also got a very tough Spanish League. Another good win in front of our fans against a very physical team. One step at a time from here on, as our first priority is to finish in the EuroLeague’s top four at the end of the regular season.”

ASVEL head coach Pierric Poupet praised his team for a spirited effort against the royalty of European club basketball, after his team had stayed on an even keel with Real for much of the first two quarters.

“The second half was pretty much what I expected, we fought hard and we have to keep believing that we can build on some of the good stuff that we saw tonight,” he said. “I am proud of my team, we left it all out there and we can take a lot of positives from this game.”

The EuroLeague leader and defending champion ground out a labored victory after going through the motions for much of the contest.

Real Madrid v LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne (2024-02-01T19:45:00.000Z)

Valencia Basket played its usual tough defense but uncharacteristically good three-point shooting supported the effort in what ended up being a comfortable 66-81 victory at ALBA Berlin. 

Three-pointers support usually strong defense in Valencia victory 

Valencia Basket played its usual tough defense but uncharacteristically good three-point shooting supported the effort in what ended up being a comfortable 66-81 victory at ALBA Berlin.

Valencia came into the game with the second-best defense in the league, allowing only 76.3 points per game. And Alex Mumbru’s men held a team to 71 points or fewer for the eighth time this season - and the second time doing so against ALBA.

“We pride ourselves on defense. The games we lost we came out not focused on defense. Tonight, our main focus was defense. Our offense will come. We got the stops we needed, we ran and scored easy buckets,” said Valencia’s main leader Chris Jones, who collected 14 points and 8 assists in the win to improve Valencia to 13-12.

Defense was also big on the mind of the game’s leading scorer Semi Ojeleye.

“The biggest thing is our mentality. Coach got us ready to come out and play defense and that’s what helps our game,” said the forward, who scored 18 points. “We set the tone with our defense. If the shots go in, great. But if the defense is there, it makes everything else easy for this team.”

Limiting ALBA offensively may not have been a major surprise with the German side ranking last in the league in index rating, defensive rebounds allowed, turnovers committed and two-point shooting and second to last in points.

Valencia made 13 triples in Berlin

Both Jones and Ojeleye barely mentioned offense in their statements and for good reason. This Valencia team also struggles to put points on the board. It ranked last in scoring at 76.4 points per game and second to last in PIR.

One reason for that lack of offensive production is poor three-point shooting. Valencia entered the game tied for last in made three-pointers per game at 7.2 and was ranked 17th in three-point shooting at 33.3%.

Against ALBA, Valencia looked like an entirely different team. Ojeleye drained 4 three-pointers alone, Jones added 3 from long range and Jared Harper chipped in 2 triples. All told, seven Valencia players hit at least one three-pointer and the team shot 13 of 29 from long range (44.8%).

Seven players combined to make 13 triples for the winners.

Three-pointers support usually strong defense in Valencia victory

ALBA Berlin v Valencia Basket (2024-02-01T19:00:00.000Z)

Olympiacos B.C. defeated FC Bayern Basketball 72-76 at BMW Park in Round 25 of the 2023-24 EuroLeague season.

Olympiacos B.C. edges past FC Bayern Basketball, 72-76

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Ignas Brazdeikis of Olympiacos Piraeus is guarded by Nick Weiler-Babb of FC Bayern Munich in Round 25 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.

Filip Petrusev and Ignas Brazdeikis stepped up for the Reds at BMW Park.

Olympiacos edges past Bayern, 72-76

Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz grabbed both victory and the potential head-to-head tiebreak advantage by defeating Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv 92-82, leaving the teams tied with 13-12 records on the fringes of the playoffs places.

Baskonia takes care of Maccabi 92-82

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The Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz players celebrate after beating Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv in Round 25 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.

Markus Howard scored 18 points in a 34-21 second-quarter as the hosts took control for good.

Sliding Virtus hosts an inconsistent Partizan with playoffs at stake

Efes forward Derek Willis on re-discovering his Native American heritage

Unexpected heroes stepped up for injury-hit Baskonia

Walkup and Petrusev stepped up for the Reds in second half to down Bayern

Historic Markus Howard boosted Baskonia

Yabusele made sure Real triumphed against his former team

Three-pointers support usually strong defense in Valencia victory

Olympiacos edges past Bayern, 72-76

Baskonia takes care of Maccabi, 92-82