More people than ever are heading to EuroLeague arenas, as interest in the competition is at an all-time high

EuroLeague attendances keep rising and rising

Nothing beats the atmosphere and the elite-level play seen at a Turkish Airlines EuroLeague basketball game, with record crowds across the league showing just how popular the league has become. Now in its 24th season, the EuroLeague is filled with incredibly talented players and coaches, as well as the best fan bases in the world. All of this together has caused fans – new and old – to flock to arenas in historic numbers.

### Attendance numbers continue to skyrocket

The passion of a EuroLeague game is reverberated around the world, and more fans than ever want to be a part of the action. This season alone has seen a 17.4% jump in attendances through the first 17 rounds, with a record-best average crowd of 10,296 fans at each EuroLeague game. Compared to last season, that is a rise of 1,525 spectators per game.

Looking at the overall totals, 1,462,034 fans came to regular-season games between Rounds 1 and 17, which is 128,876 more than the same period last season. This comes despite Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv – a team which averaged 10,460 fans at Menora Mivtachim Arena – playing all bar one of its home games behind closed doors.

There are six teams averaging at least 90% capacity in their arenas, too: Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade (99%), Zalgiris Kaunas (97%), Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade (95%), FC Bayern Munich (95%), Olympiacos Piraeus (93%), and LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne (92%). Their fans’ overwhelming support leads to wonderful atmospheres at the clubs’ respective arenas.

The same can be said for the seven clubs who have averaged at least 10,000 fans per game, with these teams being: Partizan (19,801), Crvena Zvezda (18,888), Zalgiris (14,935), Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens (14,914), Anadolu Efes Istanbul (12,079), Olympiacos (11,323), and Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul (10,146).

When looking at the clubs achieving the biggest level of growth this season compared to the previous campaigns, six teams stand out. Crvena Zvezda has an average of 11,678 more fans at its games, as playing at Stark Arena has paid dividends. The Ergin Ataman project at Panathinaikos is also bearing fruit, with an average of 6,395 more fans at OAKA.

Partizan (3,204 more fans on average) has benefitted from playing more of its games at Stark Arena; LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne (2,345 more fans on average) has been given a boost by its first few games at its brand-new LDLC Arena; Virtus Segafredo Bologna (2,064 more fans on average) have been inspired by the team’s amazing season under first-year head coach Luca Banchi; and Olympiacos (1,593 more fans on average) has continued its impressive growth when it comes to getting supporters through the turnstiles.

Panathinaikos B.C. has now won seven of its last eight games in the EuroLeague, with its most recent triumph coming against AS Monaco Basket in Round 21.

Red-hot Panathinaikos B.C. grabbed a statement win against Monaco Basket

When Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens began the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague campaign with three defeats in its first four games, including an overtime home loss at the hands of fierce rivals Olympiacos Piraeus in the opening round, many believed that the team might need time to gel after bringing in numerous new players in the summer.

Fast-forward to the end of Round 21 and it's clear the Greens’ growth under two-time EuroLeague champion head coach Ergin Ataman is starting to bear fruit, with the side having secured some morale-boosting victories and recently cemented itself in the top four of the standings.

### Panathinaikos is on fire

In fact, Coach Ataman’s squad is one of the most in-form teams in the competition, having won seven of its last eight games and each of its last three at OAKA. In fact, its only loss in that spell came thanks to a late game-winning jumper from Codi Miller-McIntyre at Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz in a clash where the hosts rallied from 17 points in the third quarter to beat Panathinaikos 75-73.

A Kostas Sloukas-less PAO went on to grab an 81-82 victory at Valencia Basket before winning both of its games in this double-round week: first against Anadolu Efes Istanbul and [then against AS Monaco](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/euroleague-live-blog-panathinaikos-bc-vs-as-monaco-basket/).

“I feel like everything is coming together for us right now,” Kendrick Nunn, who netted 21 points against Monaco, stated after Thursday’s contest. “We’re gelling very well on both ends of the floor.

“We played together on defense and helped each other out on offense. Both ends are working well right now. We’re doing a lot of communicating in the locker room about coverages, about what we should be doing out there. That’s the most important \[aspect\] and that’s what brings us together.”

December 2023's meeting between the clubs produced one of the most thrilling finales of the 23/24, with Panathinaikos' Marius Grigonis hitting a buzzer-beating three-pointer. Monaco's Mike James drained 26 points to down Baskonia and he may prove pivotal as to whether they can strike revenge.

Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens-AS Monaco | Round 21 Highlights | 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

### ‘It’s showtime at OAKA’

Head coach Ergin Ataman has led his troops to their third home win in a row, having turned OAKA into a fortress. This was Panathinaikos’s eighth home victory in 11 games, having beaten Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade, Efes and Monaco by 17, 16 and 25 points, respectively, in its last three fixtures in Athens.

“When you play such great defense like we did in the last two games, in the first game against \[Shane\] Larkin and in this game against Mike James, because these two players are the best offensive players in the EuroLeague, you have more motivation for the offense,” Ataman said in the flash interview after the game.

“Once again, we showed that it’s showtime at OAKA. We’ll see what happens, but we have great goals and we showed tonight that we have the capacity to be able to reach our goals.”

<center>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="el" dir="ltr">ΜΙΑ ΓΡΟΘΙΑ! ✊💚<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/RRi1HQjzMr">pic.twitter.com/RRi1HQjzMr</a></p>&mdash; Panathinaikos BC (@paobcgr) <a href="https://twitter.com/paobcgr/status/1745555121352618049?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 11, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

In the offseason, Panathinaikos made some big signings and lured Ataman to Athens as the Greens looked to become a force once again. Ataman has stated on several occasions that his main objective is to lead his team all the way to EuroLeague glory and Panathinaikos has demonstrated that it is taking important steps towards its goal, having improved significantly over the last couple of months.

Back in Round 15, it took a Marius Grigonis buzzer-beating triple to edge past Monaco 90-91 on the road. Just six rounds later, the two teams met again. This time, Panathinaikos wiped the floor with the Monegasques in an 88-63 beatdown.

“I think that tonight Panathinaikos showed its quality and showed that it is able to achieve all its big goals with this mentality and this atmosphere that we create with our fans at OAKA,” Ataman commented in the post-game press conference.

Next week, Panathinaikos will host its former coach, Zeljko Obradovic, in what will be the Greens’ third straight game at OAKA. The man who led PAO to its last Final Four in 2012 will be back in Athens, where he is expected to receive a huge ovation from the fans.

Meanwhile, on the court, Panathinaikos will be eyeing its fourth consecutive home victory as it attempts to show the rest of the EuroLeague that it should be considered a legitimate Final Four contender.

More Panathinaikos News

The Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens players celebrate after beating AS Monaco in Round 21 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season.

The Greens are arguably the most in-form team in the EuroLeague.

Red-hot Panathinaikos grabbed a statement win against Monaco

Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens v AS Monaco (2024-01-11T19:15:00.000Z)

Crvena Zvezda inks combo-guard Javonte Smart

Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade announced on Sunday that it has signed combo-guard Javonte Smart. The deal is for the remainder of this season with a club option for a second year. Smart (1.94 meters, 24 year old) arrives from the Delaware Blue Coats, where he averaged 20.9 points and a team-high 5.4 assists in 16 G-League games this season. Smart also played one game for the Philadelphia 76ers in the NBA this season.

Smart previously played for both the Milwaukee Bucks and the Miami Heat in the NBA. After starring in college at LSU, Smart began his professional career in 2021 in the G-League with the Sioux Falls Skyforce. He has also played in that league for the Birmingham Squadron. He was a teammate of Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz guard Markus Howard on Team USA’s gold-medal winning squad at the U17 FIBA Basketball World Cup in 2016. He will play in Europe for the first time now with Zvezda.

<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="und" dir="ltr">KK Crvena zvezda Meridianbet obaveštava javnost da je novo pojačanje našeg tima Amerikanac Javonte Smart!<br><br>Smart, rođen 1999. godine, visok je 194 centimetara, težak 93 kilograma i igra na poziciji beka. <br><br>Pohađao je poznati koledž LSU, a nakon koledža, nastupao je za ekipe… <a href="https://t.co/I6yGnzLwnA">pic.twitter.com/I6yGnzLwnA</a></p>&mdash; KK Crvena zvezda Meridianbet (@kkcrvenazvezda) <a href="https://twitter.com/kkcrvenazvezda/status/1746463709919142213?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 14, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

More Crvena Zvezda news

The EuroLeague rookie will help fill the shoes of veteran Nemanja Nedovic, who will miss time with an oblique injury. 

Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade v Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz (2024-01-18T18:00:00.000Z)

EuroLeague top photos of the week

Jabari Parker of Barcelona and Edgaras Ulanovas of Zalgiris reach for a rebound. 

Shane Larkin of Anadolu Efes dribbles past Virtus's Alessandro Pajola. 

Moustapha Fall of Olympiacos dunks over Baskonia's Matt Costello.

Scottie Wilbekin of Fenerbahce shoots over Bayern's Andreas Obst.

Justin Anderson of Valencia dunks in front of Real Madrid's Walter Tavares.  

Wade Baldwin of Maccabi rises to defend against Partizan's Kevin Punter. 

Kevin Punter of Partizan splits the defense of Fenerbahce's Nate Sestina (left) and Yam Madar.

Nikola Mirotic of Olympiacos rebounds in front of the outstretched arm of Barcelona's Jan Vesely. 

Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot of ASVEL drives past Crvena Zvezda's Branko Lazic. 

Khalifa Koumadje of ALBA Berlin dunks against Milan. 

Look back at all the action from Round 20 and 21 of the regular season by checking out the best photos of the week!

The Top 10 photos of the week, Rounds 20 and 21

The league-leading Real Madrid, sitting in the first place with a 19-2 record, has just seen Sergio Llull and Walter Tavares break a pair of club records on Thursday night. Now, Real is set to be without both of the players.

The club announced on Saturday that Tavares will be sidelined with an injury to the external lateral ligament of his right ankle. Meanwhile, Llull is out with an injury to his right foot's plantar fascia.

Real announces Llull, Tavares injuries

The league-leading Real Madrid, sitting in the first place with a 19-2 record, has just seen Sergio Llull and Walter Tavares break a pair of club records on Thursday night. Now, Real is set to be without both of the players.

The club announced on Saturday that Tavares will be sidelined with an injury to the external lateral ligament of his right ankle. Meanwhile, Llull is out with an injury to his right foot's plantar fascia.

The club said in its releases that both players underwent tests on Saturday morning, which revealed the injuries. The two players will be out for an unspecified amount of time.

Llull had a week during which he scored 13 points in a win over FC Bayern Munich, then followed it up with 16 points on 4-for-8 three-point shooting in a 96-86 overtime win over Valencia Basket. That was also a record-breaking game number 1,047 in a Los Blancos uniform for Llull, who is averaging 8.4 points and 1.7 assists in his 21 appearances this season.

In that game against Valencia, Tavares pulled down a club record 19 rebounds, to go along with his 18 points and 2 blocks during 38:18 minutes on the floor. Tavares leads the league with 1.6 blocks per game, and also averages 10.2 points and ranks third with 7.0 rebounds.

In Round 22, Real goes on the road to play AS Monaco (11-10) before it has three consecutive home games against including a 2023 championship game rematch against Olympiacos Piraeus (11-10), followed by games against Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv (12-9) and LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne (4-17).

Veteran guard Sergio Llull injured his foot while center Walter Tavares hurt his ankle.

In the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague roll call, we take a look at five players who had a big impact on their respective games in this latest double-round week. Jabari Parker, Facundo Campazzo, Scottie Wilbekin, John DiBartolomeo, Marius Grigonis

Roll call, Rounds 20-21: Telling contributions in another double-round week

### Campazzo filled the stat sheet

Real Madrid went unscratched in the double-round week with, as per usual, many different important contributors. One of them was [Facundo Campazzo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/facundo-campazzo/005928/), who started the week off with an all-round performance in a [71-92 win](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2023-24/fc-bayern-munich-real-madrid/E2023/178/#boxscore) over FC Bayern Munich, a game in which he had 8 points, a career-high 7 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals. On Thursday, his contribution was even more significant. In a [96-86 overtime win](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2023-24/real-madrid-valencia-basket/E2023/184/#boxscore) over Valencia Basket, Campazzo led all Real Madrid scorers with 19 points on 4-for-6 three-point shooting, in addition to posting 7 assists, 3 rebounds, 2 steals and even 1 block for a 28 PIR. Once again, the Argentine reminded everyone of his quality this week.

Facundo Campazzo's top plays vs. FC Bayern Munich and Valencia Basket during January's second double-round week.

Campazzo filled the stat sheet

### Grigonis rained threes for Panathinaikos

[Marius Grigonis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/marius-grigonis/002328/) had arguably his best EuroLeague game in Round 20, when he torched Anadolu Efes Istanbul with a career-high 7 triples on 9 attempts. In [an 83-76 win](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2023-24/panathinaikos-aktor-athens-anadolu-efes-istanbul/E2023/174/#boxscore), Grigonis played 35 minutes and finished with 24 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists and a career-high 28 PIR. He also had +12 in the plus/minus column. Two days later, Grigonis only scored 5 points in [an 88-63 win](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2023-24/panathinaikos-aktor-athens-as-monaco/E2023/182/#boxscore) over AS Monaco. But even though he was just 1-of-6 on field goals in that game, Grigonis still played 32:41 and had a +29, the second-best total on the team. He certainly had a major impact in two important wins for Panathinaikos.

Marius Grigonis netted 7 three-pointers as Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens beat Anadolu Efes Istanbul in Round 20 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season.

Grigonis's 7 triples vs. Efes

### DiBartolomeo lifted Maccabi against Virtus

Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv had a big bounce-back win on Wednesday, downing Virtus Segafredo Bologna [95-78](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2023-24/maccabi-playtika-tel-aviv-virtus-segafredo-bologna/E2023/180/#boxscore), and [John DiBartolomeo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/john-dibartolomeo/007990/) had one of the best games of his career. DiBartolomeo scored a season-high 16 points, making 3-of-4 three-pointers and all 5 of his free throws. He also pulled down 4 rebounds, had 2 steals and dished 1 assist. With those 5 free throws, and 2 more in [an 88-79 loss](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2023-24/partizan-mozzart-bet-belgrade-maccabi-playtika-tel-aviv/E2023/189/#boxscore) at Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade on Friday, DiBartolomeo has now gone 57 consecutive free throws without a miss, the third-longest streak in competition history. Igor Rakocevic has the second-longest streak with 58 while the longest streak belongs to Kevin Punter, who made 69 consecutive free throws.

Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv had a big bounce-back win on Wednesday, downing Virtus Segafredo Bologna 95-78, and John DiBartolomeo had one of the best games of his career.

DiBartolomeo lifted Maccabi against Virtus

### Wilbekin: From 0 to 30 in 48 hours

Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul won both of its games in this double-round week, first [coming from behind to beat Partizan](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2023-24/fenerbahce-beko-istanbul-partizan-mozzart-bet-belgrade/E2023/172/#boxscore) before [downing FC Bayern Munich ](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2023-24/fenerbahce-beko-istanbul-fc-bayern-munich/E2023/181/#boxscore)in overtime, but it was a curious few days for [Scottie Wilbekin](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/scottie-wilbekin/006661/). The guard contributed 0 points in that triumph over Partizan, but against Bayern, Wilbekin came alive with 30 points, the most he has netted since joining Fenerbahce in the summer of 2022. It was his third-highest total in his 221-game EuroLeague career, while he also went 6-of-10 from three-point range against Bayern, the most triples he has made in a Fenerbahce jersey. It was quite some way to bounce back scoring-wise, that’s for sure.

Scottie Wilbekin had 30 points, his most in a Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul jersey, as his team beat FC Bayern Munich in overtime in Round 21 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season.

Wilbekin's best scoring plays vs. Bayern

### Parker's consistency paced Barcelona to victories

Barcelona is still undefeated in 2024 thanks to a pair of wins this past week. First, Barcelona [beat Olympiacos Piraeus 86-78](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2023-24/fc-barcelona-olympiacos-piraeus/E2023/179/#boxscore), then it [downed Zalgiris Kaunas 91-73](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2023-24/fc-barcelona-zalgiris-kaunas/E2023/187/#boxscore) on Friday night. [Jabari Parker](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/jabari-parker/012745/) was Barca's best and most consistent performer across those two games. Making his fifth and sixth starts of the season, he had a game-high 21 points, 4 rebounds and 1 steal against the Reds, before collecting 18 points, 6 rebounds and 2 steals against Zalgiris. In those two games combined, he made 5-of-10 two-pointers and 7-of-10 threes. Parker finished with a combined PIR of 42 over two games, while Barcelona was +15 with Parker on the floor against Olympiacos and +28 against Zalgiris. Impressive stuff, it has to be said.

Making his fifth and sixth starts of the season, Jabari Parker had a game-high 21 points, 4 rebounds and 1 steal against Olympiacos before collecting 18 points, 6 rebounds and 2 steals against Zalgiris.

Parker s consistency paced Barcelona to victories

In the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague roll call, we take a look at five players who had a big impact on their respective games in this latest double-round week.

Partizan Belgrade won a 88-79 thriller despite Maccabi Tel Aviv’s club-record 0-16 start by setting its own club-record 24-point comeback, the EuroLeague’s fourth-biggest rally for victory since data became available in 2007.

The mother of all rallies

Just when gloom was imminent, however, Partizan proved more resilient than ever, serving up a rip-roaring comeback for an enthralling 88-79 victory.

Defensive steel propelled Partizan's historic comeback

Just when it seemed as things could only get worse, Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade ended the new year's second Turkish Airlines EuroLeague double-round in the most spectacular fashion on Friday.

Some observers had questioned the team's resolve after Partizan fell apart just 48 hours earlier, throwing away a 19-36 lead to succumb tamely at Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul, 91-76, for the team's fourth defeat in five games.

That poor run appeared set to continue at home on Friday as Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv scored the game's first 16 points and continued racing to a 13-37 lead early in the second quarter.

### The mother of all rallies

Just when gloom was imminent, however, Partizan proved more resilient than ever, serving up a rip-roaring comeback for an enthralling 88-79 victory.

Recovering all of its 24-point deficit not only proved to be Partizan's biggest comeback since 2007, when such data became available. It was also the fourth-biggest for a victory by any team and the 10th-best, win or lose, in that span.

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">24 points down? Not a problem for <a href="https://twitter.com/PartizanBC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PartizanBC</a> 😤<br><br>A historic comeback in Round 21 🔥<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EveryGameMatters?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EveryGameMatters</a> <a href="https://t.co/f2XbBDIMsT">pic.twitter.com/f2XbBDIMsT</a></p>&mdash; Turkish Airlines EuroLeague (@EuroLeague) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague/status/1745943793981907258?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 12, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> 

Such a historic rally had a couple of main ingredients.

"We had majestic energy on defense in the third quarter and this was a team win all the way," head coach Zeljko Obradovic gushed afterwards. "Our fans have an incredible impact on the team and, once again, I can't thank them enough for the support."

### Partizan countered Maccabi's strengths

Maccabi's game is reliant on a quick transition of the ball creating lots of open looks. The strategy worked to devastating effect in the first half, when the visitors shot an impressive 8 of 14 from downtown to carve out a 36-52 lead at halftime.

In the second half, however, as Maccabi's firepower dried up, the visitors were blown away as they lost the battle in the paint, with their big men swarmed and outmuscled by a well-drilled Partizan unit.

The hosts totaled 44 rebounds, 14 on the offensive end, while Maccabi managed 33 total, 12 on offense. Maccabi starting center Josh Nebo was held to 5 points and 6 boards. At the other end, Alen Smailagic, Zach LeDay and Bruno Caboclo reigned supreme, the latter alone finishing on 11 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists.

What's more, with its rebounding dominance having corralled Maccabi's transition, Partizan's aggressive half-court pressure also forced the visitors in woeful 0 of 16 shooting from three-point range after the break.

Game Videos

Partizan dominated the boards despite big man Frank Kaminsky sitting out the entire game, a tactical decision that Obradovic explained in the post-game press conference.

"This game required specific defense and Frank didn't get any minutes because the other big guys who were on the court are more mobile than he is," Obradovic said. "But he is still part of the team, of course, and we're counting on him. Frank gives us a lot of things on the offensive end, with his wide range of skills and long-range shooting."

### Nunnally and Dozier led the way

The home team's effervescent rim protection pushed James Nunnally to the fore, as the forward finished on 20 points, half of those in a third quarter that Partizan won 31-15, and a career-best 9 boards. Alas, Nunnally likely missed his first double-double in 172 EuroLeague games when he was ejected for picking up his second unsportsmanlike foul early in the fourth quarter.

With captain Kevin Punter sitting throughout the third quarter following a poor first half, Nunnally and PJ Dozier, the game's top performer with

23 points and 7 boards, stepped up to the plate as Partizan eclipsed Maccabi's free-flowing offense in the second half.

<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">HOW did that even happen 🤯<a href="https://twitter.com/PartizanBC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PartizanBC</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MotorolaMagicMoment?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MotorolaMagicMoment</a> I <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HelloMoto?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HelloMoto</a> <a href="https://t.co/H4EYmkPQMK">pic.twitter.com/H4EYmkPQMK</a></p>&mdash; Turkish Airlines EuroLeague (@EuroLeague) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague/status/1745911678871453935?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 12, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> 

### Lessons from the comeback

Obradovic hopes his team can show the same resilience on the road, where his men have a 3-8 record.

"Nunnally led the charge on offense, but it was the defense that paved the way for the second-half comeback. What we need to do now is show this kind of grit on the road against the top teams," he said.

He also stressed that his success and longevity was largely due to the expert staff that helped him flip the script against Maccabi

"People say that you're only as good as your last game, but that's nonsense," he said. "My assistants came up with a great analysis after the Fenerbahce game and I let them run Thursday's practice because it was an opportunity for me and the players to improve and make progress.

"A head coach is only as good as his assistants, and I've had outstanding assistants throughout my career. There will be ups and downs, but the important thing is to keep learning."

Game News

The Serbian team produced a perfect second half to erase a 24-point deficit amid fervent support from 20,000 fans




Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade v Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv (2024-01-12T19:30:00.000Z)

Round 21 saw many Turkish Airlines EuroLeague stars deliver great individual performances. These are the players who led all the main statistical categories. Walter Tavares had 19 rebounds, Scottie Wilbekin scored 30 points, Bruno Caboclo had 4 blocks, Maik Kotsar and Darius Thompson each had 5 steals.

Round 21 individual highs: Walter Tavares, Real Madrid, 19 rebounds

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

[Scottie Wilbekin](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/scottie-wilbekin/006661/) led all scorers in Round 21 by scoring 30 points in Fenerbahce’s overtime victory against FC Bayern Munich. [Mike James](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/mike-james/005985/) is the competition's top scorer at 19.5 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)

[Walter Tavares](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/walter-tavares/005791/) of Real Madrid had a club-record 19 rebounds, which is not only the most this season but is tied for the most rebounds in a single game in over 12 years. [Tadas Sedekerskis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/tadas-sedekerskis/007230/) of Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz is the competition's top rebounder at 7.4 boards per night.

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

[Nigel Williams-Goss](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/nigel-williams-goss/007982/) of Olympiacos Piraeus and [Codi Miller-McIntyre](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/codi-miller-mcintyre/009048/) of Baskonia each dished 8 assists in Round 21. [Facu Campazzo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/facundo-campazzo/005928/) of Real ranks first overall in assists at 7.0 per contest.

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

[Maik Kotsar](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/maik-kotsar/004603/) of Baskonia and [Darius Thompson](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/darius-thompson/011078/) of Efes collected 5 steals apiece in this round. [Paris Lee](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/paris-lee/011225/) of LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne is atop the steals table at 1.9 per night.

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

[Bruno Caboclo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/bruno-caboclo/012096/) of Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade had 4 blocks, more than anyone else in this round. Tavares is the competition's best shot blocker at 1.6 per game.

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

Four players had a double-double in this round: Tavares (18 points, 19 rebounds), [Nikola Milutinov](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/nikola-milutinov/003941/) of Olympiacos (12 points, 14 rebounds), [Dyshawn Pierre](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/dyshawn-pierre/010560/) of Fenerbahce (15 points, 10 rebounds) and [Tyrique Jones](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/tyrique-jones/011981/) of Efes (10 points, 10 rebounds).

Round 21 saw many Turkish Airlines EuroLeague stars deliver great individual performances. These are the players who led all the main statistical categories.


A career-best performance from Mathias Lessort during Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens’s 88-63 Round 21 win over AS Monaco has seen him earn the second MVP of the Round honor of his 116-game Turkish Airlines EuroLeague career.

Round 21 MVP: Mathias Lessort, Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens

A career-best performance from [Mathias Lessort](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/mathias-lessort/003842/) during Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens’s 88-63 Round 21 win over AS Monaco has seen him earn the second MVP of the Round honor of his 116-game Turkish Airlines EuroLeague career.

Lessort tied his career high with 23 points, making a career-best 9 two-pointers on 10 attempts. He also set a personal best with 5 assists, as well as collecting 9 rebounds, 3 assists and 7 drawn fouls en route to a career-high PIR of 42. This is Lessort's second-ever MVP of the Round honor – and both have come this season, having previously earned this accolade in Round 5.

Mathias Lessort  | RS Round 21 MVP | 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

The next-best PIR, 32, belongs to fellow All-EuroLeague big man [Walter Tavares](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/walter-tavares/005791/) of Real Madrid. Tavares posted 18 points and grabbed a club-record 19 rebounds, along with 2 assists, 2 blocks and 7 drawn fouls, in a 96-86 overtime win over Valencia Basket. [Darius Thompson](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/darius-thompson/011078/) of Anadolu Efes Istanbul and [Nikola Milutinov](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/nikola-milutinov/003941/) of Olympiacos Piraeus each had a PIR of 31 in Round 21. Thompson led Efes to a 99-75 home victory over Virtus Segafredo Bologna with 26 points on 6-of-8 two-pointers, 4-of-4 three-pointers and 2-of-2 free throws, in addition to having 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 5 steals and 4 fouls drawn. Milutinov recorded 12 points, 14 rebounds, 2 assist, 3 steals and 4 fouls drawn in his team's 80-69 road loss against Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz. [Dyshawn Pierre](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/dyshawn-pierre/010560/) of Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul, with a PIR of 29, completes the top individual performances in Round 21.

Lessort won his second MVP of the Round honor this season with a PIR of 42.