The trio of Devon Hall, Stefano Tonut and Alex Poythress had key roles for Olimpia Milano in the victory over Anadolu Efes S.K. on Thursday.

Hall, Tonut, Poythress stepped up in Milan victory

EA7 Emporio Armani Milan knows that its top stars will be there up for big games, but the performances of Devon Hall, Stefano Tonut and Alex Poythress against Anadolu Efes Istanbul showed they can contribute when needed as well.

The trio helped Milan deliver one of its best games of the season in a 92-76 home win to improve to 3-6. Hall, Tonut and Poythress combined for 29 of Milan’s 31 points off the bench to go along with 9 rebounds and 9 assists.

“The players from the bench really gave us a big push. Tonut and Devon Hall really played in a matter that helped us a lot to win this game. Also Alex Poythress,” said Milan head coach Ettore Messina.

Hall matched his season high of 15 points to go along with 3 rebounds and 5 assists in displaying his high-level scoring and playmaking skills.

Tonut delivered in the energy department as the team was kind of sluggish in the second game of the two-round week. He finished with 8 points - including the final back-breaking three-pointer - 3 rebounds and 3 assists.

And Poythress chipped in 6 points on 3-of-3 shooting, 3 rebounds and 1 assist. The big man really helped Milan’s defense down the stretch, especially with his athleticism.

The thing that Milan might remember most from this game was the fourth quarter. It not only scored 29 points but more importantly Milan held an Efes team with lots of weapons to just 15 points.

“Dev stepped up, Tonut stepped up. That fourth quarter everybody contributed, especially Nic \[Melli\]. This season is a process. We’re not going to be perfect from the start. Hopefully, we can build on this and keep stacking up wins,” said Shavon Shields, whose 18 points paced five scorers in double figures.

In the end, the message from this victory was everybody is needed - whether that’s scoring, rebounding, energy or defense.

“Everybody gave something. This is the only way we can do something. We did it this game, we did it against Valencia and Olympiacos,” Messina said referring to the team’s previous two wins. “We need to do it a little more to make up the ground we lost along the way. Today was a good team win.”

More Milan News

The trio played key roles for Coach Messina's team to defeat Anadolu Efes. 

EA7 Emporio Armani Milan v Anadolu Efes Istanbul (2023-11-16T19:30:00.000Z)

Galvanized Real had too much firepower for Monaco

Reigning champion Real Madrid made light work of a 91-73 home win over AS Monaco that kept them firmly in the driving seat of the 18-team competition. The final score in no way flattered the home team, which had built a staggering 30-point lead through the opening three quarters before it went through the motions in the fourth.

What was billed as the outstanding fixture in Round 8 quickly became a mauling after Monaco briefly took a 2-5 lead in the opening exchanges. Real hit top gear in no time and left the visitors a mountain to climb after storming back to go 30-15 ahead in the final minute of the opening period.

Monaco slashed it to 30-20 and that was as good as it got for the French side which was ripped apart by Real’s unselfish sharing of the ball in offense. The home side’s extra pass was so quick and devastating that Real’s players got a barrage of open looks, with Monaco struggling to keep up on defense.

The writing was on the wall for the visiting team when Real surged ahead 48-26 in the closing stages of the first half and although Monaco fought hard to stay in the match, there was no way back. The third quarter produced poetry in motion as Real romped to an 80-50 lead, with Dzanan Musa leading the charge.

Dzanan Musa highlights against AS Monaco

The Bosnian forward mixed three-pointers with dazzling drives to the basket, while big men Walter Tavares and Vincent Poirier reigned supreme in the paint at both ends. Real’s selfless performance was epitomized by

27 team assists, with the home side also netting an impressive 18-of-21 shooting from two-point territory (85.7 percent).

In contrast, a disjointed Monaco was 19 of 49 from inside the arc, having relied too heavily on individual talent prompting one-on-one plays, which kept backfiring against an ironclad Real defense.

Monaco head coach Sasa Obradovic conceded that Real was firmly on course to repeat last season’s success and win back-to-back EuroLeague titles, judging by current form.

“They completely deserve the role of favorites to win the EuroLeague in the end,” Obradovic told the post-game press conference. The way they are playing at the moment is amazing and we never had a chance. They were aggressive at both ends whenever we tried to respond. They are unselfish in getting everyone involved and sharing the ball.”

Counerpart Chus Mateo was delighted with his team’s performance. “We did an amazing defensive job throughout the game,” he said. “We were able to run and we enjoyed a brilliant third quarter. I am really pleased with the 27 assists. The fine individual talent we have is producing a superb team effort, thanks to the commitment of these players. We are having a lot of fun at the moment.”

More Real Madrid News

The visitors had no reply for Real’s quick transition of the ball and fast-paced offense.

Real Madrid v AS Monaco (2023-11-16T19:45:00.000Z)

EA7 Emporio Armani Milan used one of its main offensive strengths and limited one of its biggest weaknesses in picking up an important 92-76 home victory over Anadolu Efes Istanbul.

Milan was hot from outside and limited turnovers to beat Efes

Milan was lights out from long range, making 13 of 24 three-pointers (54.2%) and also committed only 10 turnovers in defeating Efes for its second win in three games to improve its record to 3-6.

Milan blew past its scoring average of 77.3 points per game - which ranked 14th in the league - for a season-high 92 points. The Italian side entered the game as the sixth-best three-point shooting team at 37.7% and its outside performance against Efes was well above its average.

One of the biggest keys for Milan was committing only 10 turnovers. Coach Ettore Messina’s team had struggled all season handling the ball, committing a league-worst 18.0 turnovers per game. The home side was helped however by Efes’s poor defense in that department. The Turkish team forced the fewest turnovers in the league at just 10.3 per game.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Communication is key... <a href="https://twitter.com/OlimpiaMI1936?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@OlimpiaMI1936</a> <br><br>Coach Messina&#39;s timeout ⬇️ <a href="https://t.co/hjqMlXhA69">pic.twitter.com/hjqMlXhA69</a></p>&mdash; Turkish Airlines EuroLeague (@EuroLeague) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague/status/1725263998105309219?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 16, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Another strong offensive factor in Milan’s win was the reserves as Milan received 31 points off the bench compared to just 15 from Efes. Devon Hall scored 15 points and Stefano Tonut delivered 8 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists - not to mention some much-needed energy to help the starters.

“The players played extremely hard - like they do all the time. Sometimes we play better, sometimes we have more difficulties. Today they kept fighting, they kept defending, they kept rebounding. That was very important. And the players from the bench really gave us a big push,” said Messina.

Defensively, Milan held Efes to a poor shooting night from the outside at just 28.0%. And while Milan only forced 8 Efes turnovers, the hosts limited Efes to just 5 offensive rebounds, another of the Turkish side’s weaknesses as it had averaged only 8.9 offensive rebounds per game coming in - the second-fewest in the league.

Olympiacos B.C. Piraeus earned a hard-fought 88-83 win over visiting KK Crvena zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade on Thursday night thanks to big games from Alec Peters and Moustapha Fall.

Peters and Fall career nights boosted Olympiacos

Olympiacos Piraeus earned a hard-fought 88-83 win over visiting Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade on Thursday night to complete a perfect two-game week and take a big step forward in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague standings.

Despite having to douse a late run by Zvezda in the fourth quarter, the Reds set the foundations of their victory sooner, building a double-digit lead after the intermission that increased to 15 points midway through the last period.

Two of the main factors that allowed Olympiacos to take the reins of the game were its starting frontcourt of Alec Peters and Moustapha Fall. Both registered career nights, showing a deep connection to each other that turned into 54 of Olympiacos’s total points in the game, counting those they scored and those they assisted to the rest of the team.

Peters, Fall came up big against Crvena Zvezda

“I guess we have a good connection. It’s good for us, it’s good for the team,” acknowledged Fall right after the game.” Fall finished with a double-double of 14 points and 14 boards, which marked his best rebounding night ever in the Euroleague. He also dished out 3 assists, with Peters being one of the most benefitted teammates from that.

“He is a very smart player, it’s easy to find him. He is always in the good spots, it’s kind of like Sasha \[Vezenkov\], he is moving well, has a good IQ. I hope our connection can continue as much as the season goes, which will be good for us all.”

Fall, who is averaging more than 30 minutes per game in the last three contests, knew that a lot is expected from him because of the injuries of some of his teammates. “Everybody needs to step up. We have a lot of injuries, we are missing players, we had some bad losses, that meant that everybody had to step up,” he said. “I try to compete as much as possible until Milutinov comes back and have the opportunity of sharing some playing time.”

<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="fr" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/bwinMVP?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#bwinMVP</a>, Alec Peters! 🥇🚀<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OlympiacosBC?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#OlympiacosBC</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TogetherWeFight?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TogetherWeFight</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WeAreOlympiacos?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WeAreOlympiacos</a> <a href="https://t.co/OcdLyAIJVr">pic.twitter.com/OcdLyAIJVr</a></p>&mdash; OLYMPIACOS BC (@Olympiacos_BC) <a href="https://twitter.com/Olympiacos_BC/status/1725266188752593214?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 16, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Peters had also a big night against Zvezda, as he recorded a career-high 28 points, adding 4 rebounds and 3 assists for a PIR of 31. Peters scored consistently in all periods, making up - together with Fall - for the absences Olympiacos has been suffering from so far.

“At the beginning of the week I think everybody knew we gotta to step up, making a big step, especially with the double-week coming, not having the start that we wanted, not having the guys in the roster”, he said. “Everyone had to step up, and that’s me included. That means I needed to score for this team… These unbelievable teammates and coaches really help me out, so they must get credit.”

Asked about his connection with Fall, Peters wasn’t shy to praise his teammates big time. 

“Big credit to Mous. He is playing a lot of minutes right now”, he emphasized. “We are asking a lot from him. He is creating, he is being everywhere on defense, big credit to him. He has been and anchor for this team in the last couple of years. With Niko \[Milutinov\] out, he’s made a big step.”

More Olympiacos News

The Reds starting frontcourt put up big numbers to carry the team to victory. 

Olympiacos Piraeus v Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade (2023-11-16T19:15:00.000Z)

Maccabi Tel Aviv B.C.
Fenerbahçe Basketball

Maccabi record-tying hustle born out a triumph

For the majority of Thursday's game, Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul was in control, but it was Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv that registered the win at the very end. The hard-fought 78-73 victory was a product of improved defense in the second half as well as aggressiveness on the offensive glass.

"They outhustled us", Fenerbahce head coach Dimitris Itoudis pointed out after the game. "They had \[22\] offensive boards and we had 25 defensive rebounds. That says a lot."

This was the second time this season Maccabi tied a club-record with 22 offensive boards, but the first one came in a 28-point Round 5 loss at Monaco.

What was more important, 9 of those offensive rebounds came in the fourth quarter and helped Maccabi turn a 58-61 deficit into a 70-64 lead over a span of 6 and a half minutes.

Maccabi continue their home stretch in Belgrade as they welcome Fenerbahce with both teams looking to rebound from defeats. Maccabi were edged out by Olympiacos, while Fenerbahce were blown away by Zvezda, but who can revive their postseason-credentials here?

Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv-Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul | Round 9 Highlights | 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

Maccabi struggled offensively the entire night and finished with just 46.2% two-point shooting and 5-for-24 (20.8%) on three-pointers. But it got 20 second-chance points, and took 21 more field goal attempts than the visitors.

"A great win for us", Maccabi head coach Oded Kattash said after the game as his team improved to 5-3.

"After a loss against Olympiacos, and also after a bad first half for us, we found the energy and concentration to win that game against a really good team."

Bonzie Colson came up huge, scoring all of his 13 points in the second half and pulling down 14 rebounds, tying a career-high. He had 7 on the offensive boards, while Roman Sorkin and Jasiel Rivero each had 4 offensive rebounds.

Kattash pointed out that it was not the first time that Maccabi did not start games strong, but said it was not for the lack of energy, rather for playing nervous and not well offensively. However, the effort in the second half erased everything bad from the first two quarters.

"The way we showed up in the second half it was impressive", Kattash stressed. "We did a great job defensively. I am really proud of the guys."

More Maccabi News

Bonzie Colson was instrumental for Maccabi as he tied his career in rebounding.

Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv v Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul (2023-11-16T19:05:00.000Z)

Reigning champ Real Madrid Baloncesto (7-0) blasted AS Monaco Basket (5-3) 91-73 in Round 9 of the 2023-24 EuroLeague Regular Season.

Real blows away Monaco, 91-73, to maintain perfect record

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Sergio Llull scored 14 points off the bench against Monaco.

Dzanan Musa stood out for 'Los Blancos' with 21 points and 5 assists.

Olimpia Milano used a big fourth quarter to storm past Anadolu Efes S.K. 92-76 in the EuroLeague on Thursday night in the fashion capital. 

Balanced effort helped Milan beat Efes 92-76

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EA7 Emporio Armani Milan recorded its second win in three games. 

The hosts took over in the fourth quarter in which they outscored Efes  29-15.

Olympiacos B.C. defeated KK Crvena zvezda 88-83 in Piraeus in Round 9 of the 2023-24 EuroLeague Regular Season.

Olympiacos downs Zvezda, 88-83, to complete perfect week

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Kostas Papanikolaou played a big role for Olympiacos Piraeus on Thursday. 

Alec Peters, Moustapha Fall had big games to lead the Reds. 

Maccabi Tel Aviv B.C. (4-3) outlasted Fenerbahçe Basketball (5-3) 78-73 in Belgrade in Round 9 in the EuroLeague.

Maccabi battled from behind to edge Fenerbahce, 78-73

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EuroLeague Live Blog: Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv vs. Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul.

The Israeli champs outscored their opponents 40-27 in the second half.