Jabari Parker and Oriol Pauli of Barça Basket combined for 29 points in their team's 80-72 win against Panathinaikos B.C. in Round 6 of the 2023-24 EuroLeague Regular Season.

Barça Basket duo Jabari Parker, Oriol Pauli surprised Panathinaikos B.C.

FC Barcelona beat Panathinaikos Athens 80-72 at Palau Blaugrana in Round 6 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season, with Jabari Parker and Oriol Pauli shining in particular for the *Blaugrana*. On a night when the hosts led 75-47 a couple of minutes into the final frame, they were able to seal the outcome long before the final buzzer.

Both teams were without two elite guards in this game, as Barca missed Nico Laprovittola and Rokas Jokubaitis while Panathinaikos traveled to Spain without Kostas Sloukas and Luca Vildoza. As such, the Greens opted to play Jerian Grant for over 32 minutes. Meanwhile, Barca head coach Roger Grimau got creative and opted to use forward Pauli as a point guard.

### Oriol Pauli became Barca's joker card

It was not a new situation for Pauli, who occasionally played point guard for Dreamland Gran Canaria and MoraBanc Andorra in the past. Pauli made things happen early in the second quarter, scoring 6 points in an 8-0 run after Panathinaikos got within 23-22. That spurt of offense helped put Barca on the right track, and he was the first player to reach double digits as he climbed to 10 points.

Oriol Pauli and Jabari Parker led FC Barcelona past Panathinaikos Athens in Round 6.

Pauli, Parker step up against Panathinaikos

When Pauli cooled off, Barca found a new go-to guy in Jabari Parker, who found his first points midway through the second quarter. At halftime, Parker had 8 points on 4-of-4 shots inside the arc, allowing his team to get a double-digit lead, 45-33, at the interval.

### Jabari Parker led the way in the third

Parker remained unstoppable throughout the third quarter, providing a highlight with a big dunk off the baseline and giving Barca the right energy and offensive inspiration to break the game open. By the time Parker scored his 15th point in 13 minutes on the floor, Barca had a 66-45 lead.

Panathinaikos never gave up, but it only rallied once the outcome was clear. Pauli finished the game with 12 points, one shy of his career-high effort, which came at Palau Blaugrana but during his time playing for Gran Canaria on March 19, 2019. As for Parker, he had 17 points on 7-of-10 two-pointers, 5 rebounds and a PIR of 17.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="pt" dir="ltr">Seguim 💙❤️ <a href="https://t.co/JLJVNe2vku">pic.twitter.com/JLJVNe2vku</a></p>&mdash; Barça Basket (@FCBbasket) <a href="https://twitter.com/FCBbasket/status/1720553580610953235?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 3, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

When asked about his adjustment to European basketball, Parker said his team made things easier. "From the very get-go, I think it is just the game of basketball that I have been playing all my life," Parker commented. "And it is easy when you got guys like that on the team, it makes my job easier."

Above all, Barca showed its impressive depth, getting 47 bench points in this game. Barca is 3-0 at Palau Blaugrana so far this season and next week it hosts Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade in what should be another mouth-watering fixture.

More Barcelona News

Jabari Parker of FC Barcelona gets away from Dinos Mitoglou of Panathinaikos Athens during the two teams' Round 6 matchup in the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season.

The two FC Barcelona players combined for 29 points on what turned out to be a comfortable night for the hosts.

Jabari Parker, Oriol Pauli surprised Panathinaikos

FC Barcelona v Panathinaikos Athens (2023-11-03T19:30:00.000Z)

Saski Baskonia managed to defeat KK Partizan 84-83 in head coach Dusko Ivanovic's first game back on the sidelines at Buesa Arena, with Chima Moneke hitting 2 free throws in the final seconds to give the hosts the win in Round 6 of the 2023-24 EuroLeague Regular Season.

Saski Baskonia edges KK Partizan, 84-83, to give Coach Ivanovic perfect start

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Markus Howard of Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz gets away from Aleksa Avramovic of Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade during the two teams' Round 6 matchup in the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season.

The game went right down to the wire, with Chima Moneke's 2 free throws in the final seconds ultimately giving the hosts a narrow victory.

Baskonia edges Partizan, 84-83, to give Coach Ivanovic perfect start

Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz v Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade (2023-11-03T19:30:00.000Z)

Virtus Bologna extended its winning streak to five games as it fended off Anadolu Efes S.K. 93-81 to improve to 5-1 following the two teams' Round 6 clash in the 2023-24 EuroLeague Regular Season.

Virtus Bologna wins fifth straight after downing Anadolu Efes S.K., 93-81

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Alessandro Pajola of Virtus Segafredo Bologna shoots over the outstretched arm of Anadolu Efes Istanbul center Tyrique Jones during the two teams' Round 6 matchup in the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season.

The Italian side's veterans stepped up to ensure they improved to a 5-1 record.

Virtus wins fifth straight after downing Efes, 93-81

Virtus Segafredo Bologna v Anadolu Efes Istanbul (2023-11-03T19:30:00.000Z)

Barça Basket may have only beaten Panathinaikos B.C. by 8 points, 80-72, but the hosts had a commanding 24-point lead, 71-47, entering the final frame of the two teams' Round 6 matchup in the 2023-24 EuroLeague Regular Season.

Barça Basket flexes its muscles against Panathinaikos B.C., 80-72

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Tomas Satoransky of FC Barcelona looks to get past Mathias Lessort of Panathinaikos Athens during the two teams' matchup in Round 6 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season.

The hosts entered the final quarter with a commanding 71-47 lead, before easing up at the end.

Barcelona flexes its muscles against Panathinaikos, 80-72

Barça Basket, Virtus Bologna and Saski Baskonia secured three crucial wins to close the Round 6 action in the 2023-24 EuroLeague Regular Season.

Game Center: Barca, Virtus stay strong; Baskonia wins thriller!

#### **Friday, November 3**

[Virtus Segafredo Bologna 93-81 Anadolu Efes Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/euroleague-live-blog-virtus-bologna-vs-anadolu-efes-sk/)

Virtus extends its winning streak to five games with a strong 93-81 home win over Efes thanks to 5 players scoring in double figures. Toko Shengelia led the way with 19 points, 5 rebounds and 6 rebounds. Efes dropped to 2-4 in the Erdem Can era.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="fi" dir="ltr">WIN WIN WIN ⚪️⚫️<br>Un’altra vittoria, un’altra serata da Virtus ⭐️<br><br>🔢 Shengelia 19, Belinelli 17, Dunston 14, Smith 12, Mickey 10, Cordinier 7, Dobric 7, Cacok 4, Pajola 3<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AmarsiAncora?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AmarsiAncora</a> <a href="https://t.co/4l5XvdpfqV">pic.twitter.com/4l5XvdpfqV</a></p>&mdash; Virtus Segafredo Bologna (@VirtusSegafredo) <a href="https://twitter.com/VirtusSegafredo/status/1720553713633296711?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 3, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

[Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz 84-83 Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/euroleague-live-blog-saski-baskonia-vs-kk-partizan/)

Coach Dusko Ivanovic got off to a perfect start in his fourth stint with Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz, as the home side edged out Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade 84-83 in a pulsating Round 6 clash on Friday. The hosts ground out their victory after Chima Moneke grabbed an offensive rebound with 1.1 seconds left on the clock and then sank a pair of free throws, sending a vociferous home crowd into raptures.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="es" dir="ltr">CARÁCTER BASKONIA 🔥🔥 🔵🔴<br><br>💪 Primer triunfo como locales en <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EuroLeague</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GoazenBaskonia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GoazenBaskonia</a> <a href="https://t.co/xcCkzIrX3g">pic.twitter.com/xcCkzIrX3g</a></p>&mdash; Baskonia (@Baskonia) <a href="https://twitter.com/Baskonia/status/1720556445756719359?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 3, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

[FC Barcelona 80-72 Panathinaikos Athens](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/euroleague-live-blog-barca-basket-vs-panathinaikos-bc/)

FC Barcelona remains undefeated at home in the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season after beating Panathinaikos Athens 80-72 at Palau Blaugrana on Friday. Barca improved to 5-1 while Panathinaikos dropped to 2-4. Jabari Parker paced the winners with 17 points. Oriol Pauli added 12 while Nikola Kalinic and Tomas Satoransky each had 10 for Barca. Jerian Grant led Panathinaikos with 15 points. Olek Balcerowski added 12 and Marius Grigonis 11.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="ca" dir="ltr">𝐅𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐋! El Palau continua inexpugnable 👊 <a href="https://t.co/s2pdq4DJaL">pic.twitter.com/s2pdq4DJaL</a></p>&mdash; Barça Basket (@FCBbasket) <a href="https://twitter.com/FCBbasket/status/1720551341683101740?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 3, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

### Thursday, November 2

[Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade 74-68 FC Bayern Munich](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/euroleague-live-blog-kk-crvena-zvezda-vs-fc-bayern-munich/)

Zvezda rallied from a 14-point third-quarter deficit to beat Bayern 74-68 and snap a four-game losing streak. Both teams are now 2-4. Bayern led 38-52 midway through the third quarter but Milos Teodosic led Zvezda's comeback, as the hosts tied 59-59 midway through the fourth and then used a game-clinching triple from Yago Dos Santos to win.Teodosic finished with 16 points and 11 assists, Luka Mitrovic had 11 points and 6 rebounds, and Shabazz Napier also scored 11 in the victory. Carsen Edwards had 16 for Bayern.

<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EuroLeague</a> R06 | WHAT A COMEBACK 🏀 <br><br>BC Crvena zvezda Meridianbet 74<a href="https://twitter.com/FCBBasketball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FCBBasketball</a> 68 <br><br>📊 Teodosic 16 (11 ast), <a href="https://twitter.com/ShabazzNapier?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ShabazzNapier</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/mitar_mitar9?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@mitar_mitar9</a> 11 pts each. <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://t.co/2fEEvFezks">pic.twitter.com/2fEEvFezks</a></p>&mdash; KK Crvena zvezda Meridianbet (@kkcrvenazvezda) <a href="https://twitter.com/kkcrvenazvezda/status/1720161535161491485?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 2, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> 

[Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul 79-77 Olympiacos Piraeus](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/euroleague-live-blog-fenerbahce-basketball-vs-olympiacos-bc/)

Fenerbahce grabbed an important 79-77 victory at home against Olympiacos to extend its winning streak to four and improve to 5-1 record. Olympiacos dropped to 3-3. Georgios Papagiannis scored a team-high 15 points, while Dyshawn Pierre scored 14 in the first quarter, when Fener outscored the Reds 29-14, but missed the remainder of the game through injury. Alec Peters paced Olympiacos with a game-high 19 points. Nigel Williams-Goss missed a floater on the final play that would have forced overtime.

<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">3 games at home, 3 wins for <a href="https://twitter.com/FBBasketbol?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FBBasketbol</a>! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EveryGameMatters?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EveryGameMatters</a> <a href="https://t.co/OdAaQkAk3s">pic.twitter.com/OdAaQkAk3s</a></p>&mdash; Turkish Airlines EuroLeague (@EuroLeague) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague/status/1720167768660615353?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 2, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> 

[Zalgiris Kaunas 89-91 LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/euroleague-live-blog-zalgiris-kaunas-vs-ldlc-asvel/)

There are no more winless teams in the EuroLeague as ASVEL finally grabbed its first victory of the season, rallying from 13 points down to beat Zalgiris 88-91. ASVEL (-15) limited the home side to 8 points in the final 10 minutes for what was also its first victory under new head coach Gianmarco Pozzecco. Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot scored 19 points with 6 rebounds off the bench to pace five ASVEL scorers in double figures. Youssoupha Fall had 15 points, Joffrey Lauvergne and Nando De Colo both scored 13 points and Mike Scott pitched in 12 points.

<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">BIG comeback WIN for <a href="https://twitter.com/LDLCASVEL?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@LDLCASVEL</a> ✅<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EveryGameMatters?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EveryGameMatters</a> <a href="https://t.co/CHfGxwTPcb">pic.twitter.com/CHfGxwTPcb</a></p>&mdash; Turkish Airlines EuroLeague (@EuroLeague) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague/status/1720171504397128154?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 2, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> 

[Valencia Basket 79-71 ALBA Berlin](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/euroleague-live-blog-valencia-basket-club-vs-alba-berlin/)

Valencia Basket finished the game with a 16-3 run to pull out a hard-fought 79-71 win over visiting ALBA Berlin on Thursday night. The win improved Valencia's record to 5-1, while ALBA dropped to 1-5. No team led by more than 6 points until the penultimate minute of the game. ALBA was up 63-67 with 3:35 left, but Semi Ojeleye hit a second-chance triple, his fourth of the night sparking a run continued by Brandon Davies who scored 8 consecutive points to help Valencia go in front for good.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="es" dir="ltr">𝙑𝘼𝙈𝙊𝙊𝙊𝙊𝙊 🧡<br><br>¡¡Cae la 𝙦𝙪𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙖 en la <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EuroLeague</a>!! 💪<br><br>🏆 J6 <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EuroLeague</a><a href="https://twitter.com/valenciabasket?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@valenciabasket</a> 79<br>🆚 <a href="https://twitter.com/albaberlin?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@albaberlin</a> 71<br>🤝 <a href="https://twitter.com/SanMiguel?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@sanmiguel</a> <a href="https://t.co/XEl7Ahzz4e">pic.twitter.com/XEl7Ahzz4e</a></p>&mdash; Valencia Basket Club (@valenciabasket) <a href="https://twitter.com/valenciabasket/status/1720188864311046324?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 2, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

[EA7 Emporio Armani Milan 66-72 AS Monaco](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/euroleague-live-blog-olimpia-milano-vs-as-monaco-basket/)

AS Monaco made it four wins in a row with a strong second half to down EA7 Emporio Armani Milan, which has now lost four straight. The 66-72 road victory improved Monaco to 4-2, while Milan dropped to 1-5. Milan controlled most of a low-scoring first half but couldn't establish a big lead, and the Italian team then failed to score in the opening 4 minutes of the second half. Monaco took a while to find its rhythm but led nearly the whole of the second half and stayed strong in the latter stages.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="fr" dir="ltr">✅️ Avec un Mike James encore ultra-clutch et une défense solide, Monaco décroche la victoire dans la douleur 🆚️ <a href="https://twitter.com/OlimpiaMI1936?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@OlimpiaMI1936</a> ⚔️<br><br>4️⃣e succès de suite en <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EuroLeague</a> pour la <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RocaTeam?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RocaTeam</a> 🚀 <a href="https://t.co/y85zn9liqY">pic.twitter.com/y85zn9liqY</a></p>&mdash; AS Monaco Basket 🇲🇨 (@ASMonaco_Basket) <a href="https://twitter.com/ASMonaco_Basket/status/1720191693968773169?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 2, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

EuroLeague Live Blogs: Three thrilling games to close Round 6!

Round 6 in the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season is officially in the books.

Valencia Basket v ALBA Berlin (2023-11-02T19:30:00.000Z)

EA7 Emporio Armani Milan v AS Monaco (2023-11-02T19:30:00.000Z)

Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade v FC Bayern Munich (2023-11-02T17:30:00.000Z)

Zalgiris Kaunas v LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne (2023-11-02T18:00:00.000Z)

Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul v Olympiacos Piraeus (2023-11-02T17:45:00.000Z)

Saski Baskonia will pay homage to legendary forward Luis Scola by hanging his jersey to the rafters prior to its EuroLeague Round 6 game against KK Partizan at Buesa Arena.

Baskonia to retire Luis Scola’s jersey

Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz honored one of its best players of all time this Friday night, as Luis Scola saw his jersey sent up into the rafters before the team’s Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Round 6 game against Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade at Buesa Arena.

It was quite the night for Baskonia fans, as the retirement of Scola’s jersey came before Dusko Ivanovic’s first game since returning for a fourth spell as head coach.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Immortal 💯 <br><br>The number 4 Jersey that belonged to <a href="https://twitter.com/LScola4?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@LScola4</a> is hung up in the rafters! <a href="https://t.co/2BZWpBAV1C">pic.twitter.com/2BZWpBAV1C</a></p>&mdash; Turkish Airlines EuroLeague (@EuroLeague) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague/status/1720524621550608874?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 3, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

### Luis Scola: A Baskonia legend

Scola played a total of 144 EuroLeague games across seven seasons with Baskonia, the fourth most of all time, in which the team reached the Final Four on four occasions, losing in the championship game in 2001 and 2005.

There’s no denying the Argentine’s status as a legend at Baskonia, as he is comfortably the team’s all-time leading in both scoring (2,054 points) and PIR (2,220) in the EuroLeague. In addition, Scola has the most rebounds (810), while he is also 11th in assists (242), second in steals (174) and fifth in blocks (66).

On top of those numbers, Scola was twice named to the All-EuroLeague First Team in the 2005-06 and 2006-07 seasons, as well as being selected to the All-EuroLeague Second Team in the 2004-05 campaign.

### Making his mark in Spain

Domestically, Scola earned his way into the hearts of Baskonia fans by leading the team to the Spanish League and Spanish Cup double in the 2001-02 season. Baskonia went on to win a further two Spanish Cups with Scola on the roster in 2003-04 and 2005-06, and the team also secured three straight Spanish Super Cup crowns between 2004-05 and 2006-07.

During his time at Baskonia, Scola was also named the Spanish League Rookie of the Year in the 1999-2000 campaign, before later being crowned the Spanish League MVP in the 2004-05 and 2006-07 seasons. He was selected to the All-Spanish League Team in four straight seasons between 2003-04 and 2006-07, too.

Scola is held in the highest regard by fans of Baskonia and this Friday night, he will get to feel their love once again. With Coach Ivanovic and possibly Mirza Teletovic watching on as well, it should make for a truly special event.

The legendary Argentine forward was honored at Buesa Arena this Friday night.

Baskonia retires Luis Scola’s jersey

AS Monaco Basket star Mike James showed once again why he is one of the most clutch players in the EuroLeague by leading his team to a win at Olimpia Milano in the closing stages of the game.

Mike James recovered from slow start to lead Monaco Basket again 

In the opening stages of [AS Monaco’s Round 6 trip to EA7 Emporio Armani Milan](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/euroleague-live-blog-olimpia-milano-vs-as-monaco-basket/), it looked as though visiting superstar [Mike James](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/carousels/mike-james/?q=%7B%22articleId%22%3A%22%22%2C%22categoryId%22%3A%22%22%2C%22linkedId%22%3A%7B%22sourceSystem%22%3A%22FS_BASKETBALL_PLAYER%22%2C%22sourceSystemId%22%3A%22005985%22%2C%22text%22%3A%22%22%7D%7D&carouselTitle=MIKE%20JAMES) would not enjoy a happy return to Mediolanum Forum, the place he called home during the 2018-19 season.

James headed into the contest in great form – unsurprising, because that is his default level – after averaging 18.8 points and 6.6 assists through the first five games of the new campaign. What's more, in six games since being shown the exit door at Milan by head coach Ettore Messina, he had posted 19.8 points, 4.2 rebounds, 8.2 assists and 1.2 steals against his former club. On Thursday night, he added to those numbers.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">✊ 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘂𝗺 👀 <a href="https://t.co/xmjfh2TcqG">pic.twitter.com/xmjfh2TcqG</a></p>&mdash; AS Monaco Basket 🇲🇨 (@ASMonaco_Basket) <a href="https://twitter.com/ASMonaco_Basket/status/1720213586893484096?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 2, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

### James’s difficult first half

However, it wasn't the best of starts. With Milan intent on improving its defense after [shipping 98 points in a home defeat against Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/live-blog-olimpia-milano-vs-maccabi-tel-aviv-bc/) just two days earlier, James just couldn’t get going. He and his team labored through the opening quarter, struggling to find any good looks at the basket, and finished that first frame trailing 18-13 with James registering not very grand totals of 0 points and 0 assists.

The 33-year-old did finally get on the scoreboard with a three-point play midway through the second quarter, but he didn’t stay on the court for much longer. In fact, his first-half frustration was evident when he picked up a technical foul – his third foul of the night – for complaining that he was fouled in the process of attempting a three-pointer, forcing him to the bench and meaning that he reached the interval with just 6 points and 2 assists.

“I started off slow, didn’t have a lot of rhythm going on,” James admitted after the game.

Monaco head coach Sasa Obradovic agreed, noting: “Mike didn’t start well, he complained with the referees, he had so-so body language.”

But nobody who has watched [James become the fastest player in EuroLeague history to reach 4,000 points ](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/mike-james-is-fastest-ever-to-reach-4000-euroleague-points/)– a feat he achieved last week – would have expected that lack of productivity to continue.

Mike James scored 21 points, including effectively the game-winning basket, as AS Monaco beat EA7 Emporio Armani Milan 66-72 in Round 6 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season.

Mike James's highlights vs. Milan

### A different James after the break

After the second half began with both teams struggling to find an offensive spark, James started to show his true level in the latter stages of the third quarter by making three baskets in the last 3 minutes, including a trademark sidestep triple as the buzzer sounded at the end of the period.

His old swagger was back, and James stayed in the thick of the action the rest of the way to assume his usual leadership role. A couple of tough baskets as the game approached crunch time protected a slender lead, but he was saving the best for last. When Shavon Shields scored to make it 66-67 with 35 seconds remaining, Coach Obradovic called a timeout... and you knew what was coming next.

And so it transpired. Monaco put the ball in the hands of James, who took time off the clock, loitered with menace just beyond the arc, and then pulled the trigger on a perfect three-point strike to make it a two-possession game. Just like that, James had shrugged off his ice-cold start to finish with 21 points on solid 8-of-14 field goal shooting, 5 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals for a game-high PIR of 22. Just another night at the office.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">We’ll just leave this here 🥶 <a href="https://t.co/sPuiWZVmoR">pic.twitter.com/sPuiWZVmoR</a></p>&mdash; Turkish Airlines EuroLeague (@EuroLeague) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague/status/1720191406856097930?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 2, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

The Monaco hero’s post-game analysis was straightforward, noting: “In the second half when I got back in, I tried to be aggressive like normal, tried to take some shots that I’m comfortable with shooting, and they went down."

He makes it sound so simple, and Obradovic admitted his game plan for that decisive final possession was also pretty simple.

"In the end he changed with some easy things and then it’s hard for anyone to stop him. So sometimes the plan is, ‘OK, give the ball to Mike!’”

Giving the ball to Mike... never a bad plan. And on Thursday, in the end, it worked to perfection for Monaco once again.

More Monaco News

AS Monaco guard Mike James celebrates one of his made triples against EA7 Emporio Armani Milan in Round 6 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season.

The three-time All-EuroLeague selection ensured his team left Milan with an important victory.

Mike James recovered from slow start to lead Monaco again 

Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul improved to 5-1 to retain a share of the second place on Thursday, but not without learning of an injury blow to a key contributor, small forward Dyshawn Pierre. 

Fenerbahce loses Pierre to calf injury

The morning after Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul outlasted Olympiacos Piraeus [79-77](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2023-24/fenerbahce-beko-istanbul-olympiacos-piraeus/E2023/50/#boxscore) in a thriller on its home court, one catalyst of that victory,  starting small forward [Dyshawn Pierre](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/dyshawn-pierre/010560/), was diagnosed with a grade-two calf strain that will sideline him indefinitely, the club announced. 

Pierre played just the first 8:20 against Olympiacos before existing with that calf injury late in the first quarter, but he had already made a huge impact. He was 6-for-6 on field goals for 14 points in that span, helping Fenerbahce jump to a 29-13 lead that the hosts never relinquished after that.

This season Pierre has been posting 7.0 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 21:23 minutes per game as a full-time starter for head coach Dimitris Itoudis. He made his EuroLeague debut with Fenerbahce in the 2020-21 season and has career averages of 8.2 points on 40.8% three-point shooting, 3.9 rebounds and 1.8 assists.

Two weeks shy of his 30th birthday, Pierre has 99 appearance in the competition, but he will need to wait few more weeks to reach his personal milestone.

Game Videos

Game News

Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul improved to 5-1 to retain a share of the second place on Thursday, but not without learning of an injury blow to a key contributor.

It was far from pretty, but Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade pulled out a valuable 74-68 win over the visiting FC Bayern Munich on Thursday night in Round 6 of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague.

Zvezda showed character in comeback over Bayern

Zvezda struggled a lot during the course of the game, and was down for most of the night, including 38-52 midway through the third quarter. The team was just 4-for-21 from downtown through three quarters after missing a series open looks, and even layups. What made the situation worse, Zvezda was at home and trying to end a four-game losing streak, but its 18,000-plus fans at Stark Arena were left unusually subdued by all the blown chances and false starts.

What Zvezda didn't do, however, was stop fighting.

"The win belongs to the players because they gave their hearts on the court, especially in the second half, to overcome our nervousness," head coach Ioannis Sfairopoulos said after the game. "We really wanted to win."

Zvezda used a 10-0 run late in third quarter to make it 53-59 entering the fourth, which it opened with a 12-1 spurt while denying Bayern any field goals for more than 5 minutes.

That's when big shots came. First, a triple by Milos Teodosic fell with 3:15 to play to make it 68-64. After Bayern tied it again, Teodosic served his 11th assist of the night for Yago Dos Santos, whose shot from 8 meters out made it 72-68 with 19.1 seconds to go. With that, Zvezda was in the clear, the losing streak was snapped and Sfairopoulos had his first EuroLeague victory with his new team.

"This win is for the new coach," Yago said after celebrating with the fans.

"We needed this. Everyone is happy now, everyone will now have more confidence. It is important for the club and for the fans."

The victory was a relief, too, coming as it did after back-to-back losses against archrival Partizan, one in the EuroLeague and the other in domestic league action.

"In the end, the players showed character and this is very important to me," Sfairopoulos said.

"I think we needed this win for psychological reasons. We need to calm down and play better basketball. Because we can play much better basketball."

With FC Barcelona, Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul and Olympiacos Piraeus as Zvezda's next three opponents, the team will must find a way to do that. However, this win was a start, especially in terms of resilience and character.

It was far from pretty, but Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade pulled out a valuable 74-68 win over the visiting FC Bayern Munich on Thursday night.