Olympiacos B.C. beat ALBA Berlin 100-87 in Round 24 of the 2023-24 EuroLeague season.

Olympiacos B.C. powers past ALBA Berlin, 101-87

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Moses Wright of Olympiacos Piraeus has possession against ALBA Berlin in Round 24 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season.

Isaiah Canaan was on fire for the Reds as they went to another gear in the second half.

Olympiacos powers past ALBA, 101-87

Olympiacos Piraeus v ALBA Berlin (2024-01-30T19:15:00.000Z)

KK Crvena zvezda beat Valencia Basket 82-64 at Stark Arena in Round 24 of the 2023-24 EuroLeague season.

KK Crvena zvezda coasts past Valencia Basket, 82-64

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Javonte Smart of Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade has possession against Valencia Basket in Round 24 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season.

A red-hot Nemanja Nedovic proved key in his team grabbing a vital win in the playoff race.

Crvena Zvezda coasts past Valencia, 82-64

Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade v Valencia Basket (2024-01-30T19:00:00.000Z)

Check out some bold predictions from EuroLeague.net staff members for Rounds 24 and 25 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season.

Bold predictions for Rounds 24 and 25

### Rolling the dice on Baskonia winning both

#### *by Frank Lawlor*

Just [two EuroLeague teams have positive road records](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/standings/), Real Madrid (9-3) and Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz (6-5), whose head coach Dusko Ivanovic has made a career of winning away from home. Now's the time for Baskonia (12-11) to make good on that tradition in Round 24 at FC Bayern Munich and take its momentum home against Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv to sweep the next-to-last double round of the season. Baskonia's previous road win came in mid-December, but up-and-down Bayern is a good target to reclaim that knack. If that happens, I expect Baskonia to gain confidence to face dangerous Maccabi even though it's likely to arrive home later than the visitors make it there from Madrid. Baskonia will have to overcome Serge Ibaka in Munich and cool off Wade Baldwin of Maccabi to make a move in the standings, but with some much-needed poise early in those games, I have a hunch that Baskonia will win both.

### Valencia will overcome missing centers

#### *by Javier Gancedo*

Valencia Basket has started its double-week road trip without centers. [Brandon Davies](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/brandon-davies/007870/) and [Boubacar Toure](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/boubacar-toure/012739/) have stayed at home, but even so, I believe Valencia will take a significant step forward this week, getting as many as two road wins. Valencia has the depth and physicality to stay competitive without Davies and Toure. [Nate Reuvers](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/nathan-reuvers/012738/) has a golden opportunity to prove himself as a great three-point shooter, rebounder and shot blocker. [Jaime Pradilla](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/jaime-pradilla/010393/) and [Damien Inglis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/damien-inglis/003960/) should see extended playing time at the 'five' position, with [Victor Claver](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/victor-claver/000556/) and [Semi Ojeleye](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/semi-ojeleye/011982/) ready to help at power forward. Having two physical small forwards like Ojeleye and [Justin Anderson](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/justin-anderson/012795/) definitely helps Valencia avoid getting heavily outrebounded. Valencia has enough backcourt talent to give any team trouble, and after a big road win against Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz, head coach Alex Mumbru's team should keep its momentum going against Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade and ALBA Berlin.

Semi Ojeleye and Justin Anderson arrived to Valencia Basket this season, adding power and versatility.

Ojeleye, Anderson give Valencia physicality

### Olympiacos is about to get Reds hot

#### *by Frankie Sachs*

If you don't like Olympiacos Piraeus, now is the time to take a screenshot of the standings. Because the Reds are about to get Red hot! They enter the week as part of the logjam of four teams tied between eighth and 11th place. Three of their next four games are against teams in the bottom quarter of the standings. By the end of that stretch, they could have both of their dominant centers, [Moustapha Fall](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/moustapha-fall/008811/) and [Nikola Milutinov](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/nikola-milutinov/003941/), back in uniform. [Filip Petrusev](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/filip-petrusev/011194/) is also absent for Round 24, so [Luke Sikma](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/luke-sikma/006589/) will get a chance to prove himself with a larger role. New signing [Moses Wright](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/moses-wright/012878/) has a good opportunity to introduce himself to the EuroLeague, too. That duo should be strong enough to handle the challenges that ALBA Berlin and FC Bayern Munich put forth this week. And those wins will be just the start of the Reds' march up the standings.

### Evans will average 25-plus points this week

#### *by Igor Petrinovic*

In case you have not noticed, [Keenan Evans](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/keenan-evans/011218/) has gotten hot lately. The Zalgiris Kaunas point guard has scored more than 20 points in four of his last five games, with the outlier being a loss in Barcelona when he played just 24 minutes. In each of the other four games, Evans played at least 27 minutes. Only Baskonia's [Markus Howard](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/markus-howard/011948/) has averaged better than his 21.0 points and made more than Evans's 19 triples over the last five games. What's interesting is that four of those five games have been on the road, including his 25-point performance against Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade last week. I believe that Evans will keep it up, and even turn it up a notch in this double-round week. Zalgiris first plays host to Anadolu Efes Istanbul and then welcomes Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens to Zalgirio Arena. If Zalgiris wants to stay in the playoff hunt, it needs to win both games. In front of two sold-out crowds, Evans will play a lot of minutes, and I believe he will continue to score a lot.

Keenan Evans Top Plays from 07/31/2023 to 01/30/2024

Keenan Evans top plays in the 2023-24 season

### Milan to pick up momentum in the double-round week

#### *by Geoff Gillingham*

Fresh off a 74-70 win against FC Barcelona, EA7 Emporio Armani Milan faces back-to-back road challenges at Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens and Anadolu Efes Istanbul this week. Nonetheless, I think Ettore Messina's men will find themselves winning both and putting themselves in position to make a late charge towards – at the very least – the Play-In Showdown. The return this week of [Nikola Mirotic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/nikola-mirotic/000796/), the 2021-22 EuroLeague MVP, is a big boost for a team that has had injury issues throughout the season. Mirotic has featured in just 11 games in his first year at Milan, but I think he will remind the EuroLeague of his quality with a couple of standout displays in Rounds 24 and 25. On top of that, [Shavon Shields](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/shavon-shields/007831/) is playing at an All-EuroLeague level right now and the Italian side suddenly has a ton of options at the guard positions, with [Shabazz Napier](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/shabazz-napier/011224/), [Devon Hall](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/devon-hall/011205/), [Rodney McGruder](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/rodney-mcgruder/012800/), [Diego Flaccadori](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/diego-flaccadori/005670/), [Giordano Bortolani](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/giordano-bortolani/006701/) and another returnee from injury, [Maodo Lo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/maodo-lo/007032/), all jostling for minutes. The picture suddenly looks a lot brighter if you are a Milan fan.

The best plays of EA7 Emporio Armani Milan forward Nikola Mirotic through the first 11 rounds of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season, before he suffered an injury.

Mirotic's top plays pre-injury

Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens v EA7 Emporio Armani Milan (2024-01-31T19:15:00.000Z)

Zalgiris Kaunas v Anadolu Efes Istanbul (2024-01-31T18:00:00.000Z)

AS Monaco v Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade (2024-01-31T18:00:00.000Z)

Real Madrid v Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv (2024-01-30T19:30:00.000Z)

FC Bayern Munich v Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz (2024-01-30T19:00:00.000Z)

LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne v Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul (2024-01-30T19:00:00.000Z)

FC Barcelona v Virtus Segafredo Bologna (2024-01-31T19:30:00.000Z)

Two Turkish Airlines EuroLeague passing aces – Luke Sikma and Thomas Walkup of Olympiacos Piraeus – stopped by to tell us a bit more about the art of passing, its fundamentals and its possibilities.

When asked about the three things that make up a good pass, each of them had different answers, however.

"For me? It's the why, who and where," Walkup says. Sikma sees it a little bit differently. "Timing, space and tempo."

Usually, the flashiest part of the game is when the ball goes through the hoop in a myriad of ways, but passing is a crucial part of the game that should never be overlooked. Sikma and Walkup can attest to that, especially during the process of learning how to become a great passer.

"I learn the most off of playing. Passing is really a feel thing," Sikma explains. "You learn best in real time, and you also learn from mistakes. Nobody likes a turnover!"

The video continues with both players teaching us their three fundamental types of passes. Walkup chooses the basic route with the bounce pass, the chest pass and then allows for a little creativity with a left-hook pass.

Sikma takes it all the way from the beginning with "his" bounce pass, the behind-the-back and – for the advanced students ¬– a trick pass off the elbow.

"Study the fundamentals, keep it simple," is Walkup's advice to the younger students of the game. "Step by step, that will lead you to success."

Fundamentals of passing with Olympiacos's Sikma and Walkup

On Tuesday afternoon Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade made official a contrat extension with big man Joel Bolomboy until the summer of 2026.

Joel Bolomboy, Crvena Zvezda together until 2026

On Tuesday afternoon Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade made official a contrat extension with big man [Joel Bolomboy](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/joel-bolomboy/009035/) until the summer of 2026.

Bolomboy arrived in Belgrade last summer and this is his first season with Zvezda. He is a solid starter with the team and in 22 appearances this season he averages 10.4 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.0 steals. His best game of the season was in Istanbul against Fenerbahce Beko. In that game, Bolomboy scored 24 points, and pulled 6 rebounds to lead his team to a 76-85 road win.

Bolomboy is currently in his sixth Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season. He made his debut in 2018, as he played three straight seasons with CSKA Moscow, winning the title in that first campaign at the 2019 Final Four in Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain. In the summer of 2022 he moved to Greece, as he joined Olympiacos Piraeus, with which he reached the championship game, eventually falling to Real Madrid.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="und" dir="ltr">Contract extension | Joel Bolomboy 2026! 🔴⚪️<br><br>Američki centar Džoel Bolomboj produžio je ugovor sa Crvenom zvezdom i ostaje u Beogradu i crveno-belom dresu još dve sezone! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/kkcz?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#kkcz</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WeAreTheTeam?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WeAreTheTeam</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CrvenoBelaPorodica?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CrvenoBelaPorodica</a> <a href="https://t.co/87OjDWfA5h">pic.twitter.com/87OjDWfA5h</a></p>&mdash; KK Crvena zvezda Meridianbet (@kkcrvenazvezda) <a href="https://twitter.com/kkcrvenazvezda/status/1752272405882343779?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 30, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Bolomboy, Zvezda together until 2026

The deadline for closing all Turkish Airlines EuroLeague rosters for the rest of the season is coming on Wednesday, February 7, but already five players stand out from among those who signed since the start of the season.

The EuroLeague’s top five mid-season roster additions

No coach likes to have to make mid-season roster changes. However, in some cases, those players have made history, as happened in 2012 when Acie Law and Joey Dorsey signed with Olympiacos and then won the EuroLeague trophy in the unforgettable Istanbul championship game against CSKA Moscow.

Players are signed every year after the season starts. Some have an immediate impact.

[MORE...](https://www.eurohoops.net/en/euroleague/1620716/the-euroleagues-top-five-mid-season-roster-additions/)

Fantasy Challenge Podcast: Tinkering with our teams

The double-round week is back! We will escort January out and welcome February in with 18 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague games, which make for a tumultuous time in the [EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge](https://euroleaguefantasy.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/home). Fortunately, Javier Gancedo and Frankie Sachs are back with another edition of the EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge Podcast to discuss the most topics.

The return to the courts of Nikola Mirotic, injuries at Zalgiris Kaunas and Olympiacos Piraeus’s new signing Moses Wright are among the topics addressed in this week’s episode. Listen now for some insight before you construct your teams ahead of Round 24 (and Round 25)!

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

AS Monaco v Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul (2024-02-02T19:30:00.000Z)

Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade v FC Barcelona (2024-02-02T19:00:00.000Z)

Zalgiris Kaunas v Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens (2024-02-02T18:00:00.000Z)

Anadolu Efes Istanbul v EA7 Emporio Armani Milan (2024-02-02T17:30:00.000Z)

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

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

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

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

Some serious midrange shooters boosting offensive efficiency shows that point-scoring is not all three-pointers and dunks.

EuroLeague Stats review: Midrange marksmen

Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv guard [Wade Baldwin](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/wade-baldwin-iv/009863/) was named Turkish Airlines EuroLeague's Round 23 MVP after scoring 22 points in his team's victory over Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens at Aleksandar Nikolic Hall. More than half of his points, 12 in all, came on midrange jump shots as Baldwin repeatedly attacked the paint and rose up sharply to score over retreating defenders. 

The relevance of midrange scoring has dipped over time as many of teams who attempted a higher proportion of their jump shots inside the arc a decade ago have been forced to respond to hyper-efficient offenses built on three-point marksmanship. Regardless, there's still a place for midrange play in the modern EuroLeague, whether it's a high-percentage shot for a particularly skilled one-on-one player, a solution to score over a bigger defender, or the look left open against drop coverage of pick-and-rolls. There's still value to be found the midrange area – even for some of the competition's most efficient teams.

Hust as Baldwin did in Round 23, shooting guard [Kevin Punter](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/kevin-punter/009862/) of Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade has been proving as much over the last two seasons. The table above lists the 10 most prolific midrange scorers in the EuroLeague this season along with their field goal percentage on midrange attempts. Partizan ranks second behind only Real Madrid in overall offensive efficiency despite attempting a considerable volume of shots in the midrange area. Punter's effectiveness around the lane plays a key role in that, but the lone player who has shot a better percentage than he has on the list above, teammate [PJ Dozier](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/perry-dozier-jr/012742/), is a major factor as well. 

[Mike James](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/mike-james/005985/) does much of his scoring elsewhere, but the EuroLeague's most dangerous offensive weapon is prolific from the midrange, as well. His ability to take what defenders give him by attacking the rim and keep defenders guessing when he operates inside the arc are part of what make him so dangerous. 

Baldwin and his teammate [Lorenzo Brown](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/lorenzo-brown/009622/) are aggressive in midrange spots, and while they'll have some big games like Baldwin did last week, the value of those attempts runs a little deeper for Maccabi. The pressure that duo puts on the mid-paint one-on-one is an obvious factor in the team's league-leading offensive rebound percentage. Baldwin's speed frequently allows him to draw the attention of help defenders and Brown's size allows him to shoot over smaller guards in short-range spots. When defenders react to their paint touches, it hurts the opposing team's ability to box out effectively.

Though the midrange has become something of a lost art at this point, largely reserved for pick-and-roll point guards who dominate the list above, there is some room for big men to contribute from that distance as well. Specifically, big men who can catch in the middle of the lane in short-roll situations and toss in floaters can make defenses think twice about how they are pre-rotating to defend those shots. [Josh Nebo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/josh-nebo/011199/) and [Nigel Hayes-Davis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/nigel-hayes-davis/008962/) have been particularly effective with those shots – even if their makes tend to elicit a defensive response that then leads to openings elsewhere.

While midrange shots are often maligned as being inefficient, they still have a role in modern EuroLeague offenses though the meaning differs from team to team. That fact this season's two most efficient teams, Real Madrid and Partizan, sit on the compete opposite extremes of the midrange spectrum hammers that point home.

Stats review: Midrange marksmen

The night of January 5, 2024 will be always remembered in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague will always be remembered because it was the night in which the longest game, up to that point, was played.

Dzanan Musa, Real Madrid: 'It was really special'

It all happened in Madrid, Spain, in one of the most magical nights of the year for the kids living in that country, since it is the night during which the Three Wise Men visit all homes at night and deliver gifts. But this time, one of the most dramatic gifts would be delivered a few hours earlier, when Real Madrid and Anadolu Efes Istanbul faced off in [an instant classic that ended after four overtimes with a 130-126 win for the hosts](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2023-24/real-madrid-anadolu-efes-istanbul/E2023/170/).

"Before the game there was something special in the air," Real Madrid player Dzanan Musa recalls. "Efes had just lost five games in a row, and we had to come up with all the energy that we had."

Musa would end the game with 40 points and 8 assists.

Despite a bad start to the game, Los Blancos managed to get back in the game and in the final back and forth it was all up to the last play, in which two free throws by Musa tied it at 81-81. After the first extra session, Mario Hezonja had the winning shot in his hands, but the ball would not go in.

"It's not possible that we are going to another overtime," Musa remembers.

It was Hezonja again who, five minutes later, would deliver a reverse layup that would be forcing the third overtime, 102-102.

"It's basketball." Hezonja assures. "It's beautiful."

At this point, history was already being written because never a EuroLeague game had needed to go to the third extra session to be solved. But little did everyone know, that Real and Efes were far from done.

"When fans start encouraging us, everything gets different." coach Chus Mateo says. "It's somewhat like magic."

After five more minutes, the score was 111-111 and Efes hotshot Shane Larkin drove to the basket to solve the deal but, again, the ball would have none of that.

Finally, after grinding a little bit extra in all the plays, Real managed to come out on top, 130-126.

"I was exhausted," Musa remembers. "I had plans for dinner, but I had to cancel it all because it was like, already 12 o'clock!"

"Both teams fought like lions." Mateo concludes.

Real Madrid v Anadolu Efes Istanbul (2024-01-05T19:45:00.000Z)