Jan Vesely erupted for 27 points as Barça Basket beat Real Madrid Baloncesto in El Clásico in Round 18 of the 2023-24 EuroLeague Regular Season.

Jan Vesely’s dominance inspired Barça Basket to victory in El Clásico

Real Madrid simply had no answer for FC Barcelona center [Jan Vesely](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/jan-vesely/000925/) in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague’s 36th edition of *El Clásico* this century. The Czech big man was unstoppable all night long and finished with a game-high 27 points as [Barca came away with a much-needed 83-78 triumph](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/euroleague-live-blog-barca-basket-vs-real-madrid-baloncesto/).

There was little hope among the Barca fan base heading into a clash against the 16-1 Real, whose only loss came in overtime with the final play of the game against Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul in Round 11. Barca, meanwhile, was coming off back-to-back 20-point losses. The picture was pretty bleak.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="qme" dir="ltr">💙❤💙❤💙❤💙❤💙❤ <a href="https://t.co/09HO9ex4af">pic.twitter.com/09HO9ex4af</a></p>&mdash; Barça Basket (@FCBbasket) <a href="https://twitter.com/FCBbasket/status/1742670383310934187?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 3, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Yet, the Barca supporters came out in force and turned Palau Blaugrana into a fortress, with the arena being the loudest it had been all season. That meant that, despite a strong start by Real, the hosts trailed by just 4 (21-25) and 2 (45-47) points, respectively, at the end of the first and second quarters. During that time, Vesely had run Walter Tavares ragged and caused plenty of problems inside for Real’s backup center, Vincent Poirier.

### Jan Vesely went to another level after halftime

Then, in the second half, Vesely was the main reason why Barca was able to regain the lead for the first time in a long time, even if Real did end the third quarter with its 2-point lead still intact, 60-62. Yet, it was in the fourth quarter where Vesely did the majority of his damage, scoring Barca’s last 7 points in a 9-0 run as the hosts opened a 69-62 lead. From there on, it was Barca’s game to lose.

Nikola Kalinic even extended the gap to double figures, 72-62, before Vesely moved to 25 points in the game by setting a 74-62 score. Following a scuffle between Real’s Sergio Rodriguez and Barca’s Nico Laprovittola, following the Argentine’s opening score of the quarter, a Vesely-led charge allowed the *Blaugrana* to take control of the contest.

One of sport's fiercest rivalries reignites on the European stage for another highly-anticipated installment of el clásico. Faltering Barcelona try to recover from three defeats from four, while in contrast, reigning-champs Real are runaway-leaders in the standings and appear well prepared in retaining their crown.

FC Barcelona-Real Madrid | Round 18 Highlights | 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

Inevitably, there was a Real fightback as ex-Barca forward Mario Hezonja displayed his talent before Tavares cut the gap to 5 points, 80-75, with 2:09 minutes to go. But, a Laprovittola three with 1:24 left on the clock all but put the game beyond the reach of Chus Mateo’s squad, 83-75. Only a free throw and a two-point make by Dzanan Musa would follow, meaning Barca ran out as the 83-78 victor.

“After the December that we had, \[it’s great\] to beat Real Madrid, an almost unbeatable team, so I’m very happy for us and we just have to build on this,” commented Vesely in the post-game flash interview as he walked off the court.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">DON JAN VESELY 🫡 <a href="https://t.co/J63dQ8qXiY">pic.twitter.com/J63dQ8qXiY</a></p>&mdash; Barça Basket (@FCBbasket) <a href="https://twitter.com/FCBbasket/status/1742675142990352403?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 3, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

### Vesely’s best scoring night for Barcelona

Vesely is 55 EuroLeague games into his Barca career, but Wednesday night’s explosion of 27 points was his highest so far for the *Blaugrana*, beating his previous best of 26, which came in Game 2 of the playoffs last season against Zalgiris Kaunas.

Those 27 points also represented his third-highest scoring night in 331 career games in the EuroLeague, too. His highest-ever tally came on December 9, 2021, when he netted 32 points for Fenerbahce in an 80-86 win at Zenit St. Petersburg, and he also scored 31 points as Fenerbahce beat CSKA Moscow 93-95 on November 17, 2017.

Perhaps it is just being more comfortable in Barcelona or feeling more empowered in Roger Grimau’s system, but the 33-year-old has looked back to his best this season. The addition of Willy Hernangomez also may have provided a source of inspiration for Vesely, the 2018-19 EuroLeague MVP.

Jan Vesely had a game-high 27 points as FC Barcelona beat Real Madrid in Round 18 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season.

Vesely's highlights vs. Real Madrid

Just looking at his numbers, he has improved in terms of both points and rebounds this year, going from 9.3 points and 4.0 rebounds last season to 12.5 points and 4.4 boards in 2023-24, and he has been arguably the EuroLeague’s best center through the first 18 rounds of the campaign. Vesely is making one hell of a case to be named to one of the All-EuroLeague Teams.

But, for Wednesday night at least, Vesely can bask in the fact that he has got Barca back on track with a vital victory in El Clásico. And there can’t be many better feelings than that.

More Barcelona News

Jan Vesely of FC Barcelona screams with emotion during his team's win against Real Madrid in Round 18 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season.

His best scoring night in a Blaugrana jersey came against the team’s biggest rival: Real Madrid.

Jan Vesely’s dominance inspired Barcelona to victory in El Clásico

FC Barcelona v Real Madrid (2024-01-03T20:00:00.000Z)

 
Virtus Segafredo Bologna stared defeat in the eyes for the lion’s share of an enthralling Round 18 contest against visiting Bayern Munich, but the Italian team dug deep in a dramatic finish to grind out an 85-83 home win and improve to 13-5.


Sheer resilience saw Virtus force Bayern into submission

Virtus Segafredo Bologna stared defeat in the eyes for the lion’s share of an enthralling Round 18 contest against visiting Bayern Munich, but the Italian team dug deep in a dramatic finish to grind out an 85-83 home win and improve to 13-5.

The visitors dropped to 8-10 after they missed a chance to pull off an upset, having led 66-74 early in the fourth quarter before they were undone by a rock-solid Virtus defense. The hosts, who misfired from two-point territory and the foul line all night, were able to conjure a 17-5 run that turned the tide for good and stretched their winning home streak to nine games.

Isaia Cordinier had a big fourth quarter against Bayern

Isaia Cordinier, who slammed home a clutch put-back dunk to give Virtus an 81-79 lead in the home stretch, summed up his team’s die-hard attitude which saw the Italian outfit earn several such wins in the face of adversity this season.

“We took a punch and responded with a lot of resilience,” the guard said. “We have a great chemistry and we fight for each other.”

Virtus was 17 of 37 from two-point range, 12 of 28 beyond the arc and 15 off 22 from the foul line, but prevailed thanks to 12 offensive boards and 18 assists, having only committed 7 turnovers. The hosts also managed 7 steals against battling Bayern, which had 13 turnovers and ended the contest making 13 of 32 shots from downtown in the wake of the home team’s aggressive defense down the stretch.

Game Videos

“Wins like this say a lot about our character, our identity and our DNA,” player of the game Toko Shengelia, who paced Virtus with 18 points, said as he walked off the court. “It also shows how much our fans mean to us. We are always happy playing at home, as the crowd gave us a lot of energy in the fourth quarter. Despite all the misses and the mistakes, we stayed consistent and played better defense in the second half,” he added.

Virtus head coach Luca Banchi praised Bayern as well as his own players.

“We faced a great team who played a great game and that makes our win even more important,” he said. “I believe we beat the best version of Bayern Munich and we responded despite not having the most inspired night. We found solutions, stayed together and continued to believe.”

Game News

With Bayern’s playmaker Carsen Edwards contained at crunch time after running the show for much of the evening and pouring a game-high 22 points, Banchi’s counterpart Pablo Laso conceded his team fell short when the chips were down.

“We played a pretty solid game at both ends but if you want to beat a team like Virtus, you have to take it play by play,” Laso said. “That means every shot, every rebound and every turnover. Credit to Virtus, they are a very solid team and they’re having a great season.”

The hosts overcame adversity and a poor shooting night to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.

Virtus Segafredo Bologna v FC Bayern Munich (2024-01-03T19:30:00.000Z)

Chima Moneke of Saski Baskonia played a key role in the come-from-behind win over Panathinaikos Athens and then spoke about it afterward. 

Baskonia leader Chima Moneke: 'We believe in ourselves'

Chima Moneke was kind of surprised himself by how much Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz’s comeback victory over Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens meant to him. But the Baskonia big man said the most important thing was he believed in himself and the team believed in itself - even if others outside the organization didn’t share that feeling.

Moneke came off the bench for one of his best games of the season - collecting 20 points and 13 rebounds for an index rating of 34 in Baskonia’s 75-73 home win after trailing by 17 points midway through the third quarter.

“I’m happy we got the win. A crazy way to start the year. The EuroLeague is the best basketball league in the world. I am proud of us, I am proud of myself. I don’t know why this one is emotional, but I am very proud right now,” said Moneke, who scored 18 of his points in the final 15 minutes of the game.

<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">One of the best post-game interviews you&#39;re ever going to see... <br><br>An emotional <a href="https://twitter.com/Chimdogg_?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Chimdogg_</a> 🎙 <a href="https://t.co/92lm8JxF31">pic.twitter.com/92lm8JxF31</a></p>&mdash; Turkish Airlines EuroLeague (@EuroLeague) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague/status/1742669033319571933?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 3, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Moneke came up with big plays at both ends, including blocking Kendrick Nunn’s shot with 65 seconds to play and the team down 70-73. The big man then drained his second three-pointer to tie the game and set up Codi Miller-McIntyre’s heroic jumper with 0.9 seconds left to win the game.

“Just having the confidence to take it. My teammates gave me the confidence,” Miller-McIntyre said in the win that snapped Panathinaikos’s four-game winning streak. “Me and Chima looked at each other and he said: You take it. I am just excited to win.”

Chima Moneke made a host of big plays against Panathinaikos

For Moneke, this game was a lot about belief: “I believe in myself more than anybody else in the world believes in me. A lot of people don’t believe in me. A lot of people don’t believe in the team. I believe in the team. We believe in the team. And that’s all that matters,” he said.

Baskonia came into the game having lost three of its last four games. And that led to some people, according to Moneke, talking about him and the team.

“There is a lot of noise about me as a player, there is a lot of noise about us as a team. And I promise you: we hear it but we don’t give a … if you know what I mean,” he said.

Baskonia came up with a big result - having been struggling to find wins and also knocking off a team that had been playing well. Moneke and the Spanish side now look to take that belief and continue to fight for the playoffs.

Moneke posted his third double-double of the season in leading Baskonia ot a come-from-behind victory over Panathinaikos. 

Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz v Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens (2024-01-03T19:30:00.000Z)

Round 18 in the 2023-24 EuroLeague Regular Season gets the new year underway, with nine mouth-watering fixtures across Tuesday and Wednesday night.

EuroLeague Game Center: The fifth double-round week is here!

### Wednesday, January 3

[Valencia Basket 93-88 Anadolu Efes Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/euroleague-live-blog-valencia-basket-vs-anadolu-efes-sk/)

Valencia pulled off a season-high offensive display to defeat Efes 93-88 for a 2-0 season sweep of their games. The winners raised their record to 10-8 to retain a place in the top 10 of the standings while Efes fell to 7-11 with its fifth straight loss. Brandon Davies and Chris Jones netted 15 points each, Semi Ojeleye and Damien Inglis 14 apiece, and Jared Harper and Nathan Reuvers 10 each for the hosts. For Efes, Shane Larkin poured in 20 points while Tyrique Jones had 15, Elijah Bryant had 13, Darius Thompson 12 and Tibor Pleiss 11. Efes started strong and held a narrow 43-45 lead at halftime, but Valencia outscored the guests 28-21 in the third to lead 71-66 after 30 minutes and held it the rest of the way for a seventh home win in 10 games.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="es" dir="ltr">𝙑𝘼𝙈𝙊𝙊𝙊𝙊𝙊𝙊𝙊 🧡<br><br>🔥 La Fonteta ruge para empezar 2024 con victoria en la Turkish Airlines EuroLeague 🔥<br><br>¡¡Victoria y AVERAGE!!<br><br>🏆 J18 <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EuroLeague</a><a href="https://twitter.com/valenciabasket?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@valenciabasket</a> 93<br>🆚 <a href="https://twitter.com/AnadoluEfesSK?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AnadoluEfesSK</a> 88<br>🤝 <a href="https://twitter.com/SanMiguel?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SanMiguel</a> <br><br>¿Y si repetimos el viernes? 😍 <a href="https://t.co/BZioFGix3F">pic.twitter.com/BZioFGix3F</a></p>&mdash; Valencia Basket Club (@valenciabasket) <a href="https://twitter.com/valenciabasket/status/1742642900725379319?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 3, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> 

[Virtus Segafredo Bologna 85-83 FC Bayern Munich](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/euroleague-live-blog-virtus-bologna-vs-fc-bayern-basketball/)

Virtus stretched its home winning streak to nine games after a hard-fought 85-83 win over Bayern to retain second place with a 13-5 record. Bayern dropped to 8-10. Tornike Shengelia paced the winnerswith 18 points while Marco Belinelli added 16, Daniel Hackett 15 and Isaia Cordinier 11, including a clutch put-back dunk that turned the tide in a rip-roaring finish. For Bayern, Carsen Edwards netted a game-high 22 points for Bayern but was contained in the home stretch, when Virtus snatched victory from the jaws of defeat with a 15-5 run. Serge Ibaka racked up 15 points and 13 rebounds, while Andreas Obst and Sylvain Francisco amassed 12 points each.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="it" dir="ltr">WIN WIN WIN ⚪️⚫️<br>La Segafredo la ribalta nell’ultimo quarto dopo una serata sofferta ma ancora vincente 🔥🤩<br><br>🔢 Shengelia 18, Belinelli 16, Hackett 15, Cordinier 11, Lundberg 9, Pajola 8, Dunston 4, Polonara 3, Zizic 1<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AmarsiAncora?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AmarsiAncora</a> <a href="https://t.co/L5QsXbWCop">pic.twitter.com/L5QsXbWCop</a></p>&mdash; Virtus Segafredo Bologna (@VirtusSegafredo) <a href="https://twitter.com/VirtusSegafredo/status/1742658828099813487?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 3, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> 

[Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz 75-73 Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/euroleague-live-blog-saski-baskonia-vs-panathinaikos-bc/)

Baskonia rallied from 17 points in the third quarter to beat Panathinaikos 75-73 with Codi Miller-McIntyre hitting the game-winning jumper with 0.9 seconds to play. Baskonia improved to 10-8 as Chima Moneke led the way with 20 points and 13 rebounds, Matt Costello had 11 points whileMiller-McIntyre and Tadas Sedekerskis added 10 each. Panathinaikos saw its four-game winning streak snapped in dropping to 10-8. Kendrick Nunn paced Panathinaikos with 25 points while Kostas Sloukas and Marius Grigonis both chipped in 11. Panathinaikos led 31-48 midway through the third quarter before Baskonia rallied to within 50-53 after 30 minutes. Moneke scored 15 fourth-quarter points, including a triple to tie it up 73-73 inside the final minute before Miller-McIntyre's heroics decided it for the hosts.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">One of the best post-game interviews you&#39;re ever going to see... <br><br>An emotional <a href="https://twitter.com/Chimdogg_?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Chimdogg_</a> 🎙 <a href="https://t.co/92lm8JxF31">pic.twitter.com/92lm8JxF31</a></p>&mdash; Turkish Airlines EuroLeague (@EuroLeague) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague/status/1742669033319571933?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 3, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

[FC Barcelona 83-78 Real Madrid](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/euroleague-live-blog-barca-basket-vs-real-madrid-baloncesto/)

Barcelona got back on track by beating Real Madrid 83-78 at home, handing its archrivals their first loss in regulation time this season. After back-to-back 20-point defeats, Roger Grimau's squad boosted its record 12-6 while Real dropped to 16-2. Jan Vesely had an incredible performance for Barca with 27 points, including 11 in the fourth quarter. The Blaugrana also had Nicolas Laprovittola (14 points), Nikola Kalinic (13) and Jabari Parker (10) score in double figures. Dzanan Musa led the way for Real with 19 points, with Mario Hezonja adding 16. Real led narrowly after each of the first three quarters before Vesely's 7 straight points in the fourth put Barca in charge at 69-62. Barca would take the game's first double-digit lead, 74-62, before off a late Real charge en route to the victory.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">A HUGE win for <a href="https://twitter.com/FCBbasket?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FCBbasket</a> as they come out on top over an amazing <a href="https://twitter.com/RMBaloncesto?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RMBaloncesto</a> side 🚨 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EveryGameMatters?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EveryGameMatters</a> <a href="https://t.co/pDhffIdlAJ">pic.twitter.com/pDhffIdlAJ</a></p>&mdash; Turkish Airlines EuroLeague (@EuroLeague) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague/status/1742665619508466017?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 3, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> 

### **Tuesday, January 2**

[Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul 76-85 Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/euroleague-live-blog-fenerbahce-beko-vs-kk-crvena-zvezda/)

Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade notched just its second road win of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season on Tuesday night by defeating Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul 76-85 at Ulker Sports and Events Hall. This victory improved Zvezda to a 7-11 record, while Fenerbahce fell to a 10-8 mark. This was the first loss suffered by Saras Jasikevicius since taking charge of Fenerbahce and the first defeat witnessed by the Fenerbahce fans in eight home games. It was Zvezda's first-ever win at Fenerbahce, too.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">No better way to start 2⃣0⃣2⃣4⃣ than with a first-ever road win at <a href="https://twitter.com/FBBasketbol?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FBBasketbol</a> 🤩 <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/EveryGameMatters?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EveryGameMatters</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/sportmts?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@sportmts</a> <a href="https://t.co/TSsjXqt05U">pic.twitter.com/TSsjXqt05U</a></p>&mdash; KK Crvena zvezda Meridianbet (@kkcrvenazvezda) <a href="https://twitter.com/kkcrvenazvezda/status/1742271651323011312?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 2, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

[Zalgiris Kaunas 77-71 ALBA Berlin](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/euroleague-live-blog-zalgiris-kaunas-vs-alba-berlin/)

Zalgiris Kaunas started the Andrea Trinchieri era with a hard-fought home victory, knocking off ALBA Berlin 77-71 in Round 18 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season. That win snapped a six-game losing streak for Zalgiris. Lukas Lekavicius hit a left-handed floater with 31 seconds left to make it 74-71, then Edgaras Ulanovas converted 2 free throws with 19 seconds to play to secure the win in front of a sold-out Zalgirio Arena.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">V-I-C-T-O-R-Y!!! ✅<br><br>Zalgiris starts the New Year with a win in amazing Zalgirio Arena! 💚 <a href="https://t.co/Zjzs6E9jh8">pic.twitter.com/Zjzs6E9jh8</a></p>&mdash; BC Zalgiris Kaunas (@bczalgiris) <a href="https://twitter.com/bczalgiris/status/1742274659662413836?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 2, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

[Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv 93-83 AS Monaco](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/euroleague-live-blog-maccabi-tel-aviv-bc-vs-as-monaco-basket/)

Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv earned its second win in a row when it defeated visiting AS Monaco at Aleksandar Nikolic Hall in Round 18 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season on Tuesday night. The hosts built a double-digit lead, 20-8, midway through the first period and never looked back, despite several comeback attempts by Monaco. A 10-0 run late in the fourth quarter, when Monaco got within 78-73, finally put the game to bed. Maccabi improved to 11-7 as Monaco slipped to 10-8.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Happy new year 💪 <a href="https://t.co/UCmEIHNDZ3">pic.twitter.com/UCmEIHNDZ3</a></p>&mdash; Maccabi Tel Aviv BC 🇮🇱​🇮🇱​🇮🇱​ (@MaccabiTLVBC) <a href="https://twitter.com/MaccabiTLVBC/status/1742289449461977139?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 2, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

[Olympiacos Piraeus 79-74 EA7 Emporio Armani Milan](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/euroleague-live-blog-olympiacos-bc-vs-olimpia-milano/)

In a very physical battle at Peace And Friendship Stadium, Olympiacos Piraeus powered past EA7 Emporio Armani Milan and grabbed a 79-74 win in Round 18 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season. The Greek side extended its winning steak to three games and improved to a 10-8 record, while Milan dropped to 7-11.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="es" dir="ltr">Final🏀 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OlympiacosBC?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#OlympiacosBC</a> - EA7 Emporio Armani Milan 79-74 (40&#39;) <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EveryGameMatters?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EveryGameMatters</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WeAreOlympiacos?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WeAreOlympiacos</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TogetherWeFight?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TogetherWeFight</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OLYEA7?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#OLYEA7</a> <a href="https://t.co/EFxjwgy8t1">pic.twitter.com/EFxjwgy8t1</a></p>&mdash; OLYMPIACOS BC (@Olympiacos_BC) <a href="https://twitter.com/Olympiacos_BC/status/1742290406186823949?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 2, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

[Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade 90-77 LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/euroleague-live-blog-kk-partizan-vs-ldlc-asvel/)

Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade (10-8) strolled to a 90-77 home win over LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne (2-16) in Round 18 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season. This triumph boosted Partizan's confidence ahead of Thursday's "eternal" city derby at Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade, while also piling more pressure on visiting coach Gianmarco Pozzecco.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="und" dir="ltr">Pobeda! Bravo crno-beli!✊🏽🖤🤍<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KKPartizan?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KKPartizan</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EuroLeague?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EuroLeague</a> <a href="https://t.co/VDveI55ybn">pic.twitter.com/VDveI55ybn</a></p>&mdash; KK Partizan Mozzart Bet (@PartizanBC) <a href="https://twitter.com/PartizanBC/status/1742298000775594129?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 2, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

We enter 2024 with a bang, as Round 18 comes to a close on Wednesday before Round 19 quickly follows on Thursday and Friday.

Game Center: Barca aces El Clásico; Baskonia, Virtus and Valencia win

Valencia Basket v Anadolu Efes Istanbul (2024-01-03T18:30:00.000Z)

Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade v LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne (2024-01-02T19:45:00.000Z)

Olympiacos Piraeus v EA7 Emporio Armani Milan (2024-01-02T19:15:00.000Z)

Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv v AS Monaco (2024-01-02T19:05:00.000Z)

Zalgiris Kaunas v ALBA Berlin (2024-01-02T18:00:00.000Z)

Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul v Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade (2024-01-02T17:45:00.000Z)

Head coach Alex Mumbru saw his side outscore Efes 93-88 at La Fonteta in what was their finest offensive performance of the season so far. 

Valencia downed Efes thanks to season-high scoring display

Coming into Wednesday’s duel against Anadolu Efes Istanbul, Valencia Basket boasted the second-best defense in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague with an average of 74.5 points conceded. The Spanish side had proved on several occasions that opponents opting for a high-scoring game would have to make a huge effort to break down their rigid defense.

On Wednesday night, however, Valencia also demonstrated that it can find an extra gear on offense if needed. Head coach Alex Mumbru saw his side outscore Efes 93-88 at La Fonteta in what was their finest offensive performance of the season so far. Valencia hadn’t scored more than 85 points in any of their games over the first 17 rounds, but they reached that mark with 3:03 left on the clock against Efes.

Six players recorded double digits in scoring, with Brandon Davies and Chris Jones pacing the hosts with 15 points each. Semi Ojeleye posted 14 points on his return from injury, while Damien Inglis registered a double-double by recording career highs in points (14), rebounds (10) and PIR (28). Jared Harper and Nathan Reuvers also contributed 10 points each, including some crucial baskets in the closing quarter.

“I’m happy we’ve got the win,” Inglis said after the game. “It’s always good to play well, but the win is more important.”

Efes took a 43-45 lead into the second half, but Valencia outscored the visitors 28-21 in the third quarter. The hosts netted a total of 50 points in the second half and maintained their lead in the closing quarter to secure their seventh win in 10 games at La Fonteta. “It’s important for us to be strong at home,” Mumbru said after the game. “Today I think that we played better in the second half than the first.”

Meanwhile, there’s more good news for Valencia, as Mumbru will be able to gradually add new signing Kevin Pangos to the mix. The 30-year-old guard was not included in the 12-man squad for the game against Efes, but he’s expected to debut with his new team soon after joining from EA7 Emporio Armani Milan in late December. Valencia got back to winning ways after losing 85-84 away at FC Bayern Munich last week and it will look to build on its momentum by beating Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens in its second game of the double-round week on Friday night.

The hosts featured six scorers in double figures as they bettered their team scoring average by more than 18 points.

Barça Basket came out on top in El Clásico against Real Madrid Baloncesto, winning 83-78 in Round 18 of the 2023-24 EuroLeague Regular Season.

Barça Basket beats Real Madrid Baloncesto to secure El Clásico bragging rights, 83-78

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Jabari Parker of FC Barcelona is defended by Facu Campazzo of Real Madrid in Round 18 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season.

The series between Spain's two behemoths is now tied 18-18 this century.

Barcelona beats Real Madrid to secure El Clásico bragging rights, 83-78

Saski Baskonia rallied to beat Panathinaikos B.C. 75-73 on Codi Miller-McIntyre's last second shot in Round 18 of the 2023-24 EuroLeague Regular Season.

Baskonia stuns Panathinaikos, 75-73, on Miller-McIntyre game-winner

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EuroLeague Live Blog: Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz vs. Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens.

The playmaker's last-second jumper capped a marvelous comeback for the home side. 

Virtus Bologna (13-5) rallied to bead FC Bayern Basketball (8-10) 85-83 in Round 18 of the 2023-24 EuroLeague Regular Season.

Virtus rallies past Bayern late, 85-83 

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EuroLeague Live Blog: Virtus Segafredo Bologna vs. FC Bayern Munich.

The hosts used a late 7-0 run inspired by Isaia Cordinier to win after trailing by as many as 8 in the fourth quarter.

Valencia Basket defeated Anadolu Efes S.K. 93-88 in Round 18 of the 2023-24 EuroLeague Regular Season.

Valencia holds off Efes for 93-88 victory

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EuroLeague Live Blog: Valencia Basket vs. Anadolu Efes Istanbul.

Damien Inglis posted his first double-double of the season to spark the winners. 