Virtus Bologna spoiled Gianmarco Pozzecco's first game in charge of LDLC ASVEL by winning 84-87 at the Astroballe in Round 5 of the 2023-24 EuroLeague Regular Season.

Virtus Bologna downs LDLC ASVEL, 84-87, to notch fourth straight win

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Daniel Hackett of Virtus Segafredo Bologna has possession under pressure from Paris Lee of LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne during the two teams' Round 5 matchup in the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season.

The Italian visitors held off the battling hosts in Gianmarco Pozzecco's first game on the ASVEL bench.

Virtus downs ASVEL, 84-87, to notch fourth straight win

LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne v Virtus Segafredo Bologna (2023-10-27T18:00:00.000Z)

Valencia Basket led from start to finish as it defeated Zalgiris Kaunas 72-87 in Round 5 of the 2023-24 EuroLeague season, with this win improving the Spanish side's record to 4-1.

Valencia Basket blows Zalgiris Kaunas away, 72-87

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Kassius Robertson of Valencia Basket is defended by Rolands Smits of Zalgiris Kaunas during the two teams' meeting in Round 5 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season.

The Spanish side led from start to finish, silencing a sold-out Zalgirio Arena in the process.

Valencia blows Zalgiris away, 72-87

Zalgiris Kaunas v Valencia Basket (2023-10-27T17:00:00.000Z)

Round 5 in the 2023-24 EuroLeague season came to a close tonight, with wins for Valencia Basket, Virtus Bologna, Fenerbahçe Basketball and Panathinaikos B.C.

Game Center: Valencia, Virtus, Fenerbahçe keep rolling with road wins; PAO turns the tide

### Friday, October 27

[Zalgiris Kaunas 72-87 Valencia Basket](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/euroleague-live-blog-zalgiris-kaunas-vs-valencia-basket/)

Valencia Basket led from start to finish in a resounding 72-87 road win over Zalgiris Kaunas on Friday night, which improved its record to 4-1 and saw the hosts drop to 3-2.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="es" dir="ltr">What an atmosphere, <a href="https://twitter.com/bczalgiris?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@bczalgiris</a> 💚<br><br>Ganar en un sitio así siempre es especial. ¡Lo celebramos con la <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FamiliaTaronja?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FamiliaTaronja</a>! 🧡<br><br>🏆 J5 <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EuroLeague</a><a href="https://twitter.com/bczalgiris?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@bczalgiris</a> 72<br>🆚 <a href="https://twitter.com/valenciabasket?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@valenciabasket</a> 87<br>🤝 <a href="https://twitter.com/Luanvi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Luanvi</a> <a href="https://t.co/An8rw2CUZY">pic.twitter.com/An8rw2CUZY</a></p>&mdash; Valencia Basket Club (@valenciabasket) <a href="https://twitter.com/valenciabasket/status/1717979384961794386?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 27, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

[LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne 84-87 Virtus Segafredo Bologna](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/euroleague-live-blog-ldlc-asvel-vs-virtus-bologna/)

Virtus Segafredo Bologna ruined the debut of new LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne coach Giancarlo Pozzecco by holding on for an 84-87 road victory, after a game of 16 lead changes which saw neither team ahead by more than 5 at any time.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="it" dir="ltr">WIN WIN WIN ⚪️⚫️<br>La Segafredo lotta con il giusto carattere e vince in Francia 🤪💪🏼<br><br>🔢 Cordinier 20, Shengelia 18, Belinelli 16, Mickey 11, Hackett 6, Dobric 5, Cacok 4, Pajola 3, Smith 2<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AmarsiAncora?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AmarsiAncora</a> <a href="https://t.co/XQQavvy802">pic.twitter.com/XQQavvy802</a></p>&mdash; Virtus Segafredo Bologna (@VirtusSegafredo) <a href="https://twitter.com/VirtusSegafredo/status/1717993732451053614?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 27, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

[Panathinaikos Athens 95-81 Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/euroleague-live-blog-panathinaikos-bc-vs-baskonia-vitoria-gasteiz/)

Panathinaikos Athens snapped a two-game losing streak to improve to 2-3 as it defeated undermanned Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz 95-81 at home. The Greens secured the win thanks to a big fourth quarter as Kostas Mitoglou scored 23 points and Mathias Lessort collected 23 points, 14 rebounds and 2 blocks, Kostas Mitoglou had 23 points as well and Kostas Sloukas chipped in 12 points, 4 rebounds and 7 assists.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Final score ☘️ <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/paobc?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#paobc</a> - <a href="https://twitter.com/Baskonia?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Baskonia</a> 95-81 <a href="https://t.co/kJXsotSoEJ">pic.twitter.com/kJXsotSoEJ</a></p>&mdash; Panathinaikos BC (@paobcgr) <a href="https://twitter.com/paobcgr/status/1717997235466588420?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 27, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

[FC Bayern Munich 67-76 Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/euroleague-live-blog-fc-bayern-munich-vs-fenerbahce-basketball/)

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="tr" dir="ltr">Münih’ten galibiyetle dönüyoruz! 💪<br><br>Tebrikler Fenerbahçe Beko! 👏<br><br>Maç Sonucu | <a href="https://twitter.com/FCBBasketball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FCBBasketball</a> 🆚 Fenerbahçe Beko: 67-76<br><br>Skor dağılımımız: Wilbekin 17, Guduric 14, Hayes-Davis 9, Motley 9, Papagiannis 8, Pierre 6, Dorsey 5, Sestina 4, Calathes 4. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/YellowLegacy?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#YellowLegacy</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EuroLeague?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EuroLeague</a> <a href="https://t.co/0OPJDNGQQT">pic.twitter.com/0OPJDNGQQT</a></p>&mdash; Fenerbahçe Beko (@FBBasketbol) <a href="https://twitter.com/FBBasketbol/status/1718003926534893855?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 27, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

### Thursday, October 26

[Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade 88-86 Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/euroleague-live-blog-kk-partizan-vs-kk-crvena-zvezda/)

Partizan rallied from 13 behind in the fourth quarter as Aleksa Avramovic scored 12 of his 14 points in the final 3 minutes and 35 seconds, leading his team to a thrilling 88-86 win over Zvezda and sending the home fans into a frenzy after a roller coaster Belgrade Derby. This win improved Partizan's record to 2-3, while Zvezda lost its fourth straight and has a 1-4 record.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The Belgrade Derby did NOT disappoint 🤯🤯🤯<a href="https://twitter.com/PartizanBC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PartizanBC</a> get back with a HUGE 4th quarter comeback to win their first game at 🏠<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EveryGameMatters?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EveryGameMatters</a> <a href="https://t.co/cXVM30ORA2">pic.twitter.com/cXVM30ORA2</a></p>&mdash; Turkish Airlines EuroLeague (@EuroLeague) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague/status/1717611410681737505?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 26, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> 

[ALBA Berlin 85-82 EA7 Emporio Armani Milan](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/euroleague-live-blog-alba-berlin-vs-olimpia-milano/)

ALBA registered its first victory of the season in rallying from 12 points down to beat Milan 85-82 with Sterling Brown providing the winner on a layup with 24 seconds left. ALBA improved to 1-4 thanks to Johannes Thiemann scoring 22 points and Brown finishing with 18 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists. Milan dropped to 1-3 as it could not take advantage of Nikola Mirotic totaling 30 points, 12 rebounds and an index rating of 36 while Shavon Shields had 25 points in the loss.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="de" dir="ltr">Da ist das Ding!!! 🤯😍<br> <br>Mit ganz viel Kampfgeist und Wahnsinns-Stimmung in der Mercedes-Benz Arena holen wir uns unseren ersten EuroLeague-Sieg der Saison. Ganz starke Leistung! 💪<br><br>📸 Florian Ullbrich <a href="https://t.co/sjl2hhpSee">pic.twitter.com/sjl2hhpSee</a></p>&mdash; ALBA BERLIN (@albaberlin) <a href="https://twitter.com/albaberlin/status/1717632033965441130?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 26, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> 

[**Real Madrid 65-64 FC Barcelona**](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2023-24/real-madrid-fc-barcelona/E2023/40/)

Real improved to 5-0 after coming out on top in El Clásico, having downed FC Barcelona 65-64 at WiZink Center in Round 5. Following this defeat, Barca dropped to a 4-1 record. Gabriel Deck paced Real with 20 points, while Vincent Poirier was the only other player to score a double-digit number of points, finishing with 14. Mario Hezonja had just 7 points, but he brought down 10 rebounds. For Barca, Willy Hernangomez netted a team-high 13 points, Jan Vesely added 12, Alex Abrines chipped in with 11 and Tomas Satoransky had 10.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="es" dir="ltr">💯 <a href="https://twitter.com/RMBaloncesto?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RMBaloncesto</a> stand as the only team with a perfect 5-0 after beating Barça in El Clásico⚪️⚪️ <a href="https://t.co/dFZkQzCoiL">pic.twitter.com/dFZkQzCoiL</a></p>&mdash; Turkish Airlines EuroLeague (@EuroLeague) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague/status/1717650246665167166?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 26, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> 

[**Olympiacos Piraeus 75-57 Anadolu Efes Istanbul**](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2023-24/olympiacos-piraeus-anadolu-efes-istanbul/E2023/38/)

Olympiacos improved to a 3-2 record with a comprehensive 75-57 drubbing of visiting Efes, which slipped to 2-3 after a tepid performance. Olympiacos led from start to finish. Nigel Williams-Goss and Kostas Papanikolaou paced the home team with 14 points and 7 rebounds each, while Isiah Canaan posted 10 points to go with 7 rebounds and Alec Peters chipped in with 12 points for Olympiacos.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="ca" dir="ltr">Final!🏀 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OlympiacosBC?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#OlympiacosBC</a> - Anadolu Efes 75-57 (40&#39;) <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/EveryGameMatters?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EveryGameMatters</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OLYEFS?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#OLYEFS</a> <a href="https://t.co/4FrZwzFZpS">pic.twitter.com/4FrZwzFZpS</a></p>&mdash; OLYMPIACOS BC (@Olympiacos_BC) <a href="https://twitter.com/Olympiacos_BC/status/1717641012292546612?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 26, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> 

[**AS Monaco 107-79 Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv**](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2023-24/as-monaco-maccabi-playtika-tel-aviv/E2023/41/)

Monaco took control early and never looked back in dismissing visiting Maccabi 107-79 on Thursday. Monaco's third consecutive win gave it a 3-2 record, while Maccabi dropped 2-2. Monaco tied its club scoring record and registered its biggest-ever EuroLeague win. It was also a milestone night for Mike James, the game's top scorer with 24 points, who became only the fourth, and fastest, man to reach 4,000 points scored in EuroLeague history. James led all scorers despite playing fewer than 22 minutes. Alpha Diallo scored 18, Elie Okobo had 17 points and 6 assists, John Brown had 11 points plus 8 rebounds.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">You couldn’t ask for a better Thursday evening than this 😍💯 <a href="https://t.co/uviXNAyUzQ">pic.twitter.com/uviXNAyUzQ</a></p>&mdash; AS Monaco Basket EN (@asmonaco_en) <a href="https://twitter.com/asmonaco_en/status/1717649044690915423?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 26, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> 

EuroLeague Live Blogs: Some mouth-watering games to close Round 5.

Round 5 came to a close tonight, with three teams improving to a 4-1 record while elsewhere, the Greens got back on track by winning at OAKA.

Game Center: Valencia, Virtus, Fener get road wins; PAO turns the tide

Real Madrid v FC Barcelona (2023-10-26T18:45:00.000Z)

Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade v Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade (2023-10-26T16:30:00.000Z)

Olympiacos Piraeus v Anadolu Efes Istanbul (2023-10-26T19:00:00.000Z)

AS Monaco v Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv (2023-10-26T19:00:00.000Z)

ALBA Berlin v EA7 Emporio Armani Milan (2023-10-26T18:00:00.000Z)

FC Bayern Munich v Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul (2023-10-27T18:30:00.000Z)

Panathinaikos Athens v Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz (2023-10-27T18:15:00.000Z)

Real Madrid vs. FC Barcelona, the season's first captured by MindFly's first-person POV CAM

Experience El Clásico like never before

EuroLeague fans will have the chance to experience some the most thrilling moments of the season from a first-person perspective as the referees officiating selected Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season games will wear the revolutionary MindFly AI ultralight-powered bodycams during the action.

Euroleague Basketball and MindFly started their collaboration during the last Final Four held in Kaunas, where all fans had the possibility to [re-live some of the best moments of the EuroLeague's final phase](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ynrS9fivSVA) as if they were inside the court.

The 2023-24 season will bring this collaboration even further as all fans will have more opportunities during the regular season to experience what happens inside the court.

The 65-64 victory of Real Madrid over FC Barcelona on Thursday in the Spanish clásico kicked off the project that brings the content around the game to a brand-new level, enhancing the fan experience.

EuroLeague fans will have the chance to experience some the most thrilling moments of the season from a first-person perspective as the referees officiating selected Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season games will wear the revolutionary MindFly AI ultralight-powered bodycams during the action.

Real Madrid vs. FC Barcelona, the season's first game captured by MindFly's first-person POV CAM

Two experienced, versatile forwards, Edgaras Ulanovas and Victor Claver, face each other on Friday when of Zalgiris hosts Valencia to break their tie near the top of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague standings.

Head-to-head: Ulanovas, Zalgiris vs. Claver, Valencia

[Zalgiris Kaunas welcomes Valencia Basket in Round 5](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2023-24/zalgiris-kaunas-valencia-basket/E2023/45/), giving fans a chance to see an always-interesting head-to-head matchup featuring savvy veteran forwards [Edgaras Ulanovas](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/edgaras-ulanovas/002329/), for the hosts, and [Victor Claver](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/victor-claver/000556/), for the visitors.

Between them, Ulanovas and Claver have a wealth of experience. In his 10th Euroleague season, Ulanovas has played 228 of his 276 games as a starter and reached the 2018 Final Four with Zalgiris. Ulanovas owns career averages of 7.4 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.9 PIR.

Now in his ninth EuroLeague season, Claver is coming up on his 198th game, 127 so far as a starter. He has been to two Final Fours: with Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar in 2016 and with FC Barcelona in 2021. He also lifted the BKT EuroCup trophy with Valencia in 2010. Claver's career averages are 6.1 points, 3.7 rebounds and 8.0 PIR. 

Edgaras Ulanovas, Victor Claver Top Plays from 10/01/2023 to 10/27/2023

Edgaras Ulanovas, Victor Claver best plays in 2023-24

It is only logical that Claver and Ulanovas have crossed paths several times. Friday's game will mark their ninth head-to-head confrontation in the EuroLeague.

Claver should have good memories of his first EuroLeague game against Ulanovas. He buried the go-ahead free throws to lead Lokomotiv to a 74-76 road victory in Kaunas. Claver had 12 points and a PIR of 18 that night. Ulanovas had 3 points, 5 rebounds, 3 steals and a PIR of 12. 

Later in the 2015-16 campaign, Lokomotiv overwhelmed Zalgiris 80-50 behind Claver's double-double of 10 points and 10 rebounds. Ulanovas's first win against Claver came on February 2, 2017: Zalgiris edged Barca 89-85 and Ulanovas played a leading role with 17 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists and a PIR of 25.

Claver and Ulanovas have split wins in their previous matchups, getting four victories each, all of them in regular season action.

Overall, Ulanovas has outperformed Claver in their head-to-head games. Ulanovas averages 6.5 points compared to Claver's 5.5. Both of have grabbed 3.5 rebounds per game. And Ulanovas also leads in assists, getting 2.6 against Claver's 1.0, and in steals, 1.0 against 0.4. As such, Ulanovas had an average PIR of 9.3 in their games to Claver's 6.8.

Remarkably enough, neither player has missed a free throw attempt in any of their eight games. Ulanovas has gone 13-for-13 at the foul line in games against Claver, who has buried 10 out of 10 there. Unsurprisingly, both of them are good free throw shooters: Ulanovas makes 82.2% for his career, a little bit better than Claver's 81.1%.

Other than that, Ulanovas has shot the ball better inside the arc, hitting 12 of 29 two-pointers (41.4%), while Claver was limited to 5 of 16 (31.3%). The Valencia forward has done better from beyond the arc,  however, making 8 of 20 three-pointers (40%) to Ulanovas's 5 of 16 (31.3%) in their previous games.

Both players are good defenders and know how to score in the low post. Expect nothing but an exciting matchup between Ulanovas and Claver!

On the day right after the first Belgrade derby of the season, in which Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade survived Crvena Zvezda Medidianbet Belgrade with a heart-stopping 88-86 win, Partizan has made official that one of the main pillars of the team, Kevin Punter, will be missing at least two weeks due to a double-injury, on on each leg - a hamstring on one leg and knee on the other.

Partizan's Kevin Punter out at least two weeks

On the day right after the first Belgrade derby of the season, in which [Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade survived Crvena Zvezda Medidianbet Belgrade with a heart-stopping 88-86 win](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2023-24/partizan-mozzart-bet-belgrade-crvena-zvezda-meridianbet-belgrade/E2023/39/), Partizan has made official that one of the main pillars of the team, [Kevin Punter](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/kevin-punter/009862/), will be missing at least two weeks due to a double-injury, on on each leg - a hamstring on one leg and knee on the other.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="und" dir="ltr">Medicinski izveštaj - Kevin Panter van tima u narednim danima.<br><br>🔗 <a href="https://t.co/PpjIl9Ycwo">https://t.co/PpjIl9Ycwo</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KKPartizan?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KKPartizan</a> <a href="https://t.co/vdi46QP8fN">pic.twitter.com/vdi46QP8fN</a></p>&mdash; KK Partizan Mozzart Bet (@PartizanBC) <a href="https://twitter.com/PartizanBC/status/1717862735851958487?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 27, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

In his third year with Partizan, Punter is averaging 11.6 points, 2.2 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.6 steals in almost 28 minutes on court. In the Belgrade derby, Punter scored 8 points, dished 2 assists and collected 2 steals, but he also suffered injuries that will now have him away from the courts for half a month.

In Real Madrid's Clásico win against FC Barcelona in Round 5 of the 2023-24 EuroLeague season, Gabriel Deck and Vincent Poirier played important roles in the triumph.

Deck, Poirier inspired Real Madrid's El Clásico comeback

A win in [*El Clásico* between Real Madrid and FC Barcelona](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/euroleague-live-blog-real-madrid-baloncesto-vs-fc-barcelona/) is much more than another notch in the victory column. One reason for that is that the victor must show great hustle on both ends throughout the game. That's exactly what both sides did at WiZink Center on Thursday night, when *Los Blancos* managed to come out on top thanks to a couple of very impressive displays by Gabriel Deck and Vincent Poirier.

The two combined for more than half of Real’s points, with Deck scoring a game-high 20 and Poirier adding 14 in a narrow 65-64 win. On a night when Facundo Campazzo did not make a field goal, Sergio Llull netted just 2 points and Rudy Fernandez went scoreless, Deck was aware that he was one of the players who had to step up.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">🏀🤝⚽ ¡Invitados de lujo en el WiZink! <br>😍 We know those guys! 🤙 <a href="https://t.co/ehjFZgIjcI">pic.twitter.com/ehjFZgIjcI</a></p>&mdash; Real Madrid Basket (@RMBaloncesto) <a href="https://twitter.com/RMBaloncesto/status/1717636253632381304?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 26, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

### Deck led Real Madrid’s turnaround

The Argentine forward scored 9 points in the second quarter, when the hosts were trailing by double digits, including his team's sole first-half three-pointer to trim the gap to 28-30 at halftime. The reigning Turkish Airlines EuroLeague champs dominated the third quarter and managed to turn the game around in the third quarter. Their comeback from being as many as 14 points down midway through the second quarter amounted to the biggest deficit the Real has overcome to beat Barcelona in the EuroLeague this century. Real now leads the series 18-17.

“We were asleep at the wheel at first, missing a lot,” Deck told [EuroLeague.net](http://EuroLeague.net) after the game. “In the third quarter we changed our mindset, we changed the energy and we were able to get a lead that we were able to maintain until the end.”

Gabriel Deck scored 20 points as Real Madrid beat FC Barcelona 65-64 in Round 5 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season.

Gabriel Deck's highlights vs. Barcelona

### Poirier assured Real extra possessions

Meanwhile, Poirier contributed the most in Real’s bid to complete a second-half comeback. After going 3-for-3 on two-pointers before the break, the French center finished the game with an excellent 7-for-8 (87.5% 2FG) inside the paint.

Just as importantly, he corralled as many as 6 offensive rebounds, tied for second-highest in the Euroleague this season, to boost Real's chances on a night when its long-distance accuracy was missing completely. Its 2-for-22 three-point shooting amounted to just the fourth time in 566 EuroLeague games since 2000 that Real has made less than 10% of its three-point tries. 

“We always fight every game and everyone is contributing,” Poirier said to [Euroleague.net](http://Euroleague.net) in the locker room afterward. “We have to attack and the second-chance \[opportunities\] are very important. Today we made 2 of I don't know how many three-pointers and the offensive rebounds helped us to have confidence and get another shot.”

Vincent Poirier scored 14 points as Real Madrid beat FC Barcelona 65-64 in Round 5 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season.

Vincent Poirier's highlights vs. Barcelona

### Stepping up despite absences

Apart from Real's shooting woes, Round 2 MVP forward Guerschon Yabusele missed out on *El Clásico* through injury and last season's Final Four MVP, center Walter Tavares, played less than 7 minutes after committing 3 fouls in the first half. Poirier stepped into that frontcourt breach splendidly, though.

“Against Barcelona, we know that it’s always like that,” added Poirier. “We have to fight until the last minute. We got the win and for the rest of the season we need games like that, where we’re going to fight until the end, to be focused. This will give us confidence for the rest of the season.”

Head coach Chus Mateo decided to start Poirier in the third quarter and the 30-year-old paid back his boss’s confidence by inspiring Real to a double-digit lead heading into the last 10 minutes. Barca bounced back but it wasn't enough, as Real became the only EuroLeague team to boast a perfect 5-0 record after five rounds.

More Real Madrid News

Vincent Poirier and Gabriel Deck join Mario Hezonja in contesting a rebound during Real Madrid's win against FC Barcelona in Round 5 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season.

On a night when little separated the age-old rivals Real Madrid and FC Barcelona, two frontcourt forces for the hosts made all the difference.


The veteran center is off to a fast start for ALBA in his fifth EuroLeague season.

World champion Thiemann's sky-high confidence helping ALBA develop

It should be no surprise that [Johannes Thiemann](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/johannes-thiemann/003958/) played a major role in [ALBA Berlin securing its first win of the EuroLeague season](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2023-24/alba-berlin-ea7-emporio-armani-milan/E2023/37/). Not only does the center know the club’s system but he is coming into the season with sky-high confidence as a freshly-crowned world champion.

Thiemann poured in 22 points on 6-of-9 field-goal shooting and 7-of-9 on free throws to go with 6 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 steal in ALBA’s come-from-behind 85-82 win over EA7 Emporio Armani Milan.

Thiemann was coming off his worst EuroLeague game of the season, with just 7 points and 7 rebounds in Round 4 after having averaged 12.7 points and 8.3 rebounds with two double-doubles in the first three games.

The 29-year-old stepped up for ALBA on Thursday when it mattered most against Milan. In the final 6:27 minutes of the game, Thiemann scored 10 points including a three-pointer and a three-point play following his third offensive rebound of the quarter to knot the game at 82-82 with a minute left. Thiemann added a free throw with 7.0 seconds left to provide the final scoreline.

"We kept \[the energy\] a little lower in practice this week so we had the energy for the game. We just wanted it more," Thiemann said. "It’s so important especially for us as a young team. We still need time to build, to grow. But to get some wins along the way is amazing."

Johannes Thiemann (22 points) Highlights vs. AX Armani Exchange Milan, 10/26/2023

Johannes Thiemann's highlights vs Milan

Thiemann enters the season after the high of winning the FIBA Basketball World Cup with Germany. He averaged 7.0 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1.0 steals in 18 minutes per game at the tournament.

There is not only that confidence but also his experience in the EuroLeague as well as in ALBA’s system. Thiemann is playing his sixth season with ALBA and fifth in the EuroLeague, and he played three seasons with the EuroCup with Bamberg Basket and ALBA. He is a five-time German champion - 2015 and 2016 with Bamberg and the ALBA three-peat from 2020 to 2022.

"JT is taking advantage of his knowledge of the team and the game and his confidence from the World Cup," ALBA coach Israel Gonzalez said. “I hope he will play like this all season, but we know this is not possible, that he will have some moments like he is playing now. But there will also be moments where he needs to rest or take a step back to recover."

Until then, it wouldn’t be a surprise if ALBA is carried by Thiemann to a few more wins.

Real Madrid Baloncesto downed FC Barcelona 65-64 in the EuroLeague El Clásico at WiZink Center on Thursday night, despite having a horrible night from three-point range.

Real Madrid overcame three-point nightmare to defeat Barcelona

Real Madrid is now the only team in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague with a perfect record after beating FC Barcelona 65-64 at WiZink Center in Round 5 of the 2023-24 regular season on Thursday night. Despite securing the win, Los Blancos shot a dismal 2-of-22 from three-point territory.

The only two players to strike from distance were Gabriel Deck and Mario Hezonja. It took until there were 4 seconds left on the clock in the second quarter for Deck to drain Real’s first three-pointer, before Hezonja later added one in the third quarter.

Curiously, as Darius Garuolis points out, Real's 9.1% on three-pointers is the third-worst mark in the club's history.

<center>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">🇪🇸 Real Madrid shot 9.09 3FG% which is 3rd lowest value in Real&#39;s history.<br><br>🔹2021-22 RS R27: 6.7%<br>🔹2010-11 RS R05: 6.7%<br>🔹2023-24 RS R05: 9.1% 👈<br>🔹2021-22 RS R26: 9.1%<br>🔹2010-11 T16 R05: 10.0%</p>&mdash; Darius Garuolis (@DariusGaruolis) <a href="https://twitter.com/DariusGaruolis/status/1717651082250186759?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 26, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

### Deck lit a fuse under Real Madrid

In particular, Deck’s triple helped provide a spark for Los Blancos, which they carried into the second half. After making it 28-30 at halftime with his three-pointer, Real went on to outscore Barca 23-11 en route to a 51-41 margin entering the final quarter.

Prior to Deck getting the Real fans off their seats going into halftime, Chus Mateo’s squad had shot a dismal 0-of-14 from distance. Perhaps, given that stat, it is a surprise that Barca had not been able to pull away further.

One of the key reasons why is down to the hosts’ dominance in the paint, as they ended up outrebounding the visitors 27-20; of those 27, 13 came on the offensive end. Real also scored 8 second-chance points in the first half compared to 0 for Barca.

<center>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="qme" dir="ltr">👏👏👏 <a href="https://t.co/gB8oTBVRKZ">pic.twitter.com/gB8oTBVRKZ</a></p>&mdash; Real Madrid Basket (@RMBaloncesto) <a href="https://twitter.com/RMBaloncesto/status/1717650916403204178?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 26, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Although Real turned the game around and entered the final lead with a commanding 10-point lead, Barca refused to go away and managed to chip away at the lead bit by bit. The Blaugrana had their chances to tie the game from the free-throw line in the closing stages, but instead it was Facu Campazzo and later Hezonja that got Real over the line from the charity stripe, which ensured Los Blancos won the first Clásico of the 2023-24 EuroLeague season.

Mario Hezonja and Facu Campazzo of Real Madrid come together during their team's win against FC Barcelona in Round 5 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season.

The hosts shot just 2-of-22 from distance, yet still came away with the win.