All odds were against Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade, but it held the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague’s second-best offense to just 8 points in the first quarter and a home season-low 73 points after 40 minutes.

Crvena Zvezda overcame frontcourt absences to grab morale-boosting win

All odds were against [Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/crvena-zvezda-meridianbet-belgrade/roster/red/?season=2024-25) on Thursday evening. The Serbian team traveled to Greece without their three bigs, [Joel Bolomboy](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/joel-bolomboy-out-3-6-weeks-with-ankle-sprain/), [Filip Petrusev](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/filip-petrusev/011194/) and [Luka Mitrovic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/luka-mitrovic/002553/), with the former two also being their standout players this season. Zvezda headed into the game on the back of a three-game losing streak against an [Olympiacos Piraeus](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/olympiacos-piraeus/roster/oly/?season=2024-25) side that had won 13 of its previous 14 games.

Yet, when the 10 starters stepped onto the floor, the visitors demonstrated that none of this really mattered. Zvezda held the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague’s second-best offense (87.4 ppg. before Thursday's game) to just 8 points in the first quarter and a home season-low 73 points after 40 minutes.

Ioannis Sfairopoulos was forced to deploy small-ball lineups that stretched the floor and confused Olympiacos. The visitors fired on all cylinders, having gone 13 of 26 from deep and out-Olympiacos’ed the hosts by recording 24 assists on 27 made field goals. More impressively, despite the major frontcourt absences they protected the boards, grabbing 33 rebounds – just 1 fewer than Olympiacos.

Game Videos

“When we come out and are focused for 40 minutes, we can compete with anybody,” [Codi Miller-McIntyre](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/codi-miller-mcintyre/009048/), who bagged a double-double of 15 points and 11 boards, told EuroLeague TV. “We’ve shown that multiple times during the season. We had a bad stretch these last few games, but it’s normal, it’s a long season. Many people probably didn’t believe that we could come out and win that game.”

Miller-McIntyre was not the only Zvezda player to step up big. Despite averaging fewer than 5 points per game in less than 15 minutes on the floor this season, [Rokas Giedraitis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/rokas-giedraitis/006436/) exploded for a season-high 20 points, having gone 6-for-7 from deep in a season-high 32:41 minutes. He also recorded 4 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals in one of his finest displays in a Zvezda jersey.

Rokas Giedraitis made 6 threes against Olympiacos

Game News

Giedraitis was assisted by an almost-perfect [Dejan Davidovac](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/dejan-davidovac/007960/), who went 4-for-6 from the field and 4-for-4 from the line – all 4 free throws netted in the closing stages. Another player who came to the fore was [Isaiah Canaan](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/isaiah-canaan/010612/), who scored 12 second-half points against his former team.

“We played against the best team in Europe so far,” Sfairopoulos said in the post-game press conference. “We had all these problems with the centers. But all the players gave their maximum to cover these absences.”

Three of Zvezda’s last four games, including the next three, are set to be played on home soil. Injury issues may not ease ahead of the upcoming double-round week, but as Miller-McIntyre stressed after that huge win in Greece, a focused Zvezda side can beat anybody.

Sfairopoulos’s men traveled to Greece without Joel Bolomboy, Filip Petrusev and Luka Mitrovic

Olympiacos Piraeus v Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade (2025-03-20T18:00:00.000Z)

AS Monaco improved to 18-12 in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season and boosted its hopes of a top-four finish after an impressive 91-82 home win over Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul, on the back of a season-high 29 points from pack leader Mike James.

Monaco sinks Fenerbahce, 91-82, powered by Mike James 

AS Monaco improved to 18-12 in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season and boosted its hopes of a top-four finish after an impressive 91-82 home win over Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul, on the back of a season-high 29 points from pack leader Mike James.

Elie Okobo chipped in with 16 points, Daniel Theis racked up 15 points and 7 boards while Jordan Loyd added 13 points for the home team, which prevailed despite losing the battle of the boards 32-41 as it forced 17 turnovers from Fenerbahce.

The visitors, who only managed 12 assists, were paced by Errick McCollum on 24 points, as Marko Guduric netted 15 and Tarik Biberovic scored 10 for the Turkish outfit. The result also means that Fenerbahce dropped to 20-10 and still has work to do to secure an automatic playoff spot.

James hit top gear right from the start, netting 11 first-quarter points as the opening period produced a see-saw battle in which the lead changed hands several times before Fenerbahce nosed ahead 26-28 in a high-scoring start.

In contrast, the second quarter produced a rugged and physical battle with both sides ramping up on defense and making it difficult for each other to get open looks. Still, James hit yet another three and Okobo was outstanding from mid-range as the duo enabled Fenerbahce to lead 47-43 at halftime.

The trend continued in the third as Fenerbahce, driven by the effervescent McCollum, played catchup but Monaco was able to stay ahead in no small part to Theis, whose wealth of experience was everywhere to be seen in his movement and execution of close-range layups. Okobo also sank a pair of tough mid-range jumpers off the dribble, enabling the home team to head into the final 10 minutes 63-58 ahead. 

Monaco pulled away to 67-58 early in the fourth but Fenerbahce refused to lie down and the visiting team was able to close the gap to 76-75 ahead of the home stretch, paving the way for what looked like a dramatic climax in the making. James would have none of that, though, as he sank a pair of clutch triples with Monaco carving out a decisive 85-78 lead in the closing stages.

Fenerbahce fought hard to force a final twist but the writing was on the wall for the Turkish side, which made too many simple mistakes when the chips were down.  

The French side stopped its Turkish rival from sealing a top-six berth with games to spare 

AS Monaco v Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul (2025-03-20T18:00:00.000Z)

Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade put an end to its three-game losing slide by defeating Olympiacos Piraeus 73-81 at Peace and Friendship Stadium on Thursday in Round 30 of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

Center-less Crvena Zvezda stuns Olympiacos, 73-81

Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade put an end to its three-game losing slide by defeating Olympiacos Piraeus 73-81 at Peace and Friendship Stadium on Thursday night. The visitors shared the ball well on offense and looked solid on the other end, leading from start to finish to get back to winning ways. Zvezda improved its record to 17-13, while Olympiacos remains atop the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague table despite dropping to 22-8.

Rokas Giedraitis led all scorers with 20 points, having gone 6-for-7 from deep. Codi Miller-McIntyre recorded a double-double of 15 points and 11 rebounds, with Dejan Davidovac and Isaiah Canaan scoring 13 and 12 points, respectively. Sasha Vezenkov paced Olympiacos with 19 points and Shaquielle McKissic netted 14.

Davidovac got Zvezda going with a three-pointer and Miller-McIntyre added a floater for a 0-5 lead. Moustapha Fall stepped up with a layup that Nemanja Nedovic erased with a fastbreak basket. Davidovac's wide-open layup saw Olympiacos call timeout at 2-9. Miller-McIntyre followed a driving layup with a bomb from downtown and soon added an acrobatic three-point play that boosted the visitors' lead to 2-17, after a 0-12 run. Saben Lee dunked and Nikola Milutinov gave Olympiacos hope at 6-20. Giedraitis knocked down a triple and John Brown drew a charge as Zvezda regained its composure. Evan Fournier's layup made it 8-20 after 10 minutes.

Alec Peters drained the Reds’ first three of the night with the onset of the second quarter. Baskets by Lee and Fournier got the hosts' offense on track, but Zvezda kept making shots and 2 straight triples by Giedraitis set a 17-31 lead. Olympiacos went on a 7-0 run fueled by Vezenkov, but Zvezda responded with a 0-10 surge inspired by Miller-McIntyre, who made it 24-41. After Giannoulis Larentzakis drained a three, Davidovac took his tally to 9 perfect points for a 27-43 lead at halftime.

Olympiacos opened the third quarter with an 8-0 run with all the points scored by team captain Kostas Papanikolaou. Kalinic netted inside on the other end, but Vezenkov nailed a pair of triples to bring Olympiacos within 43-50. Canaan netted a layup against his former team and Kalinic made 3 from the line for a 46-55 cushion. McKissic and Canaan traded triples before slams from the former and Fall slashed the difference to 55-58 heading into the closing quarter.

Yago Dos Santos netted a three before 5 points by Nedovic and two straight triples from Canaan created a 59-72 gap. Brown and McKissic exchanged buckets. A Vezenkov basket slightly trimmed the deficit to 63-74. McKissic netted a layup in transition and Peters scored 6 straight points to bring Olympiacos within 71-77 with a minute left on the clock.  Nedovic stayed ice-cold from the line to finish the game off.

The Serbian side led throughout the game against the league-leader

The EuroLeague MVP battle is entering the final stretch, with Sasha Vezenkov, Kendrick Nunn and TJ Shorts the frontrunners to take home the trophy.

2024-25 EuroLeague MVP Ladder by Eurohoops Vol. 4

For some, the latest Derby of the Eternal Rivals between [Olympiacos Piraeus](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/olympiacos-piraeus/oly/) and [Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/panathinaikos-aktor-athens/pan/) also had the character of a “battle to end all battles” in the 2024-25 EuroLeague MVP race between [Sasha Vezenkov](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/sasha-vezenkov/003469/) and [Kendrick Nunn](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/kendrick-nunn/012774/).

To quote [Mario Hezonja](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/mario-hezonja/003108/), though, “This isn’t tennis, it’s basketball, brother”. And, since we are also talking about a single game, even a mighty EuroLeague classic, this is just one piece of the 34-game regular-season complex puzzle.

The fact is that the derby didn’t make us any wiser when it comes to who will lift the regular-season MVP trophy. Vezenkov still seems to hold the upper hand for various different reasons and Nunn is a close second. There’s only one other player with a couple of strong arguments against these two and may challenge them under specific circumstances.

Read more [HERE](https://www.eurohoops.net/en/trademarks/1800177/2024-25-euroleague-mvp-ladder-by-eurohoops-vol-4/).

An important period is coming up in the race to take home the MVP trophy

The 13th installment of AS Monaco versus Fenerbahce Beko in the EuroLeague has all the makings of a blockbuster. 

Monaco vs. Fenerbahce: A playoff rematch with postseason implications

The 13th installment of [AS Monaco](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/as-monaco/mco/) versus [Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/fenerbahce-beko-istanbul/ulk/) in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague has all the makings of a blockbuster.

After their five-game playoff series last year, Thursday night’s meeting will be the latest that they have ever met in the regular season. By taking place so late in the campaign, it is a fixture that could have a big impact on this year’s playoff race.

Fenerbahce confirmed its place in the postseason by [beating LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne last week](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/fenerbahce-seals-postseason-spot-by-downing-asvel-92-82/), so its next goal will be to lock up a top-four finish – and home-court advantage – as soon as possible. Sitting pretty in second place with a 20-9 record, three wins ahead of fifth-placed FC Bayern Munich, the odds are certainly in favor of coach Saras Jasikevicius’s side.

Having gone 10-2 over its last 12 games, Fenerbahce is one of the hottest teams in the EuroLeague and has recently been bolstered by [Wade Baldwin](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/wade-baldwin-iv/009863/)’s return from injury, as well as the mid-season addition of [Errick McCollum](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/errick-mccollum/005216/). Importantly, a victory for the Turkish powerhouse could see it join Olympiacos Piraeus in guaranteeing a top-four finish, so long as one of Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens, Bayern or FC Barcelona suffers defeat in Round 30.

It is a different story for Monaco. Despite being almost certain to secure the tiebreaker in this fixture, having beaten Fenerbahce by 30 in Istanbul back in Round 15, Vassilis Spanoulis’s fourth game in charge, Monaco has stumbled of late by losing three of their last four games. Last time out, [it fell 91-88 to an already-eliminated Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/maccabi-stuns-monaco-91-88-for-third-straight-win/), a result that left a bitter taste in the mouths of many, particularly Spanoulis.

“In this part of the season, to play with this soft mentality is unacceptable,” the Greek play-caller said in the postgame press conference after the loss at Maccabi. “To give up 17 offensive rebounds, we lost 50-50 balls, we missed a couple of big shots at the end.

“We were up 88-82 with 1:40-something on the clock and we couldn’t make one stop, then they went on a 9-0 run. Everybody has to take responsibility and understand the situation. This is not the way I want my team to defend. This is bad defense; we gave up 91 points. Everybody needs to take responsibility, myself and the players, to understand what it takes to win games.”

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="ca" dir="ltr">⚔️ Plαчoffs αtmosphere 🔥<br><br>⌚️ La <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RocaTeam?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RocaTeam</a> reçoit <a href="https://twitter.com/FBBasketbol?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FBBasketbol</a> pour un duel de haut de tableau en <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EuroLeague</a> ⏫️<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DagheMunegu?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DagheMunegu</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EveryGameMatters?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EveryGameMatters</a> <a href="https://t.co/zXvxSF71xG">pic.twitter.com/zXvxSF71xG</a></p>&mdash; AS Monaco Basket 🇲🇨 (@ASMonaco_Basket) <a href="https://twitter.com/ASMonaco_Basket/status/1902653625077297299?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 20, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Just a few days later, Monaco was dumped out of the French Cup semifinals by Le Mans having lost 99-102 in a game that didn’t go to overtime. More improvement is therefore needed on the defensive end if the principality club is to get back on track, but with just five games remaining in the regular season, time is running out.

Coach Spanoulis will be praying and hoping that new signing [Daniel Theis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/daniel-theis/004132/) is able to play after suffering a scary fall in Round 29, as the German big man has made a telling impact across his first three games with averages of 14.3 points and 5.7 rebounds. It’s a small sample size but Theis has already demonstrated that he has what it takes to be a pivotal player for Monaco, which is looking to make its second Final Four appearance this year.

What is clear is that, regardless of whether Theis can play or not, Monaco will lean heavily on its excellent quartet of guards: [Mike James](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/mike-james/005985/), [Elie Okobo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/elie-okobo/011212/), [Jordan Loyd](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/jordan-loyd/009754/) and [Matthew Strazel](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/matthew-strazel/008099/). All four have the ability to cause a lot of damage to Fenerbahce, and they will be eager to close the season sweep against the Turkish side, a bit of payback after losing 3-2 in the playoffs last season.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="tr" dir="ltr">🏀 Maç günü!<br><br>🏆 <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EuroLeague</a> 30. Hafta<br>🆚 AS Monaco<br>🕘 21.00<br>📍 Salle Gaston Medecin<br>🔗 Maç raporu: <a href="https://t.co/fllLxOzGig">https://t.co/fllLxOzGig</a> <br>🎙️ Maç önü görüşleri: <a href="https://t.co/tIzhOjfE33">https://t.co/tIzhOjfE33</a><br>📺 <a href="https://twitter.com/ssporttr?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ssporttr</a><br>📱 <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/sGQGiw6Aeb">pic.twitter.com/sGQGiw6Aeb</a></p>&mdash; Fenerbahçe Beko (@FBBasketbol) <a href="https://twitter.com/FBBasketbol/status/1902621381797327008?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 20, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Fenerbahce gets contributions from a number of guys on a night in, night out basis, something that was evident last week as nine players netted 8 points or more in the win over ASVEL: Baldwin (15 points), McCollum (10), [Bonzie Colson](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/bonzie-colson/009783/) (10), [Nicolo Melli](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/nicolo-melli/002849/) (9), [Sertac Sanli](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/sertac-sanli/002968/) (9), [Marko Guduric](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/marko-guduric/004004/) (9), [Jilson Bango](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/jilson-bango/013696/) (8), [Nigel Hayes-Davis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/nigel-hayes-davis/008962/) (8), and [Devon Hall](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/devon-hall/011205/) (8). On the other end, its third-ranked defense (80.4 PPG) will fancy its chances of containing Monaco’s fifth-ranked offense (86.5 PPG), despite what happened in Round 15.

The previous 12 meetings between Monaco and Fenerbahce have resulted in five wins for the Monégasque club and seven for the Turkish side, but who will triumph on Thursday night? Monaco knows it requires a win to keep its top-four hopes alive, while Fenerbahce has the chance to lock up home-court advantage with a win (and if other results go its way). It should be a cracker, so make sure to tune in via EuroLeague TV.

Vassilis Spanoulis and Saras Jasikevicius, who won the 2009 EuroLeague title together as players, come head to head as coaches for the second time

Episode no. 19 of EuroLeague & Friends saw Lisa Ramuschkat of Germany,  Vasiliki Karamouza of Greece, Aleksandra Radivojevic of Serbia and Giulia Cicchine of Italy come togther and discuss all the hot topics in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

EuroLeague & Friends discuss All-25 team, Sylvain Francisco and the Greek derby

Episode no. 19 of EuroLeague & Friends saw [Lisa Ramuschkat](https://www.instagram.com/lisa_ramuschkat/) of Germany,  [Vasiliki Karamouza](https://eur04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fx.com%2Fkaramouza_vas&data=05%7C02%7Cgeoff.gillingham%40euroleague.net%7C11f1688411b149f3d69008dd54da09f0%7C2b3d64f0329542979f1528435f0a62ce%7C1%7C0%7C638760017621742220%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=e6ofg13yx1u0i4tOROcbsfxgVO58l%2BWRN1lSWgK5Csc%3D&reserved=0) of Greece, [Aleksandra Radivojevic](https://www.instagram.com/amazing__alex/) of Serbia and [Giulia Cicchine](https://www.instagram.com/lacicchine/) of Italy come togther and discuss all the hot topics in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague. Among them were the latest Hoop District in Athens and the All-25 EuroLeague team. With 20 names in the bag, the cast debates who the remaining five players might be.

Vasiliki attended the Greek Derby and told the rest of the cast about the great basketball atmosphere at Peace and Friendship Stadium. [Sylvain Francisco](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/sylvain-francisco/007975/) and the way he has stepped up for Zalgiris Kaunas was also discussed as was [The Francisco Show](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQggwwwgIrA).

There was time to chat about Pedro Calles taking over as [ALBA Berlin](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/alba-berlin/roster/ber/?season=2024-25)'s new head coach and the Rivalry Series game featuring Vassilis Spanoulis of [AS Monaco](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/as-monaco/roster/mco/?season=2024-25) and Sarunas Jasikevicius of [Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/fenerbahce-beko-istanbul/roster/ulk/?season=2024-25) on the sidelines, years after they won the EuroLeague together as Panathinaikos teammates in 2009. You can listen to the latest episode of EuroLeague & Friends on YouTube and all major podcast services.

The fight to reach the postseason is also a hot topic

Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv v Virtus Segafredo Bologna (2025-03-20T19:15:00.000Z)

Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz v FC Bayern Munich (2025-03-20T19:30:00.000Z)

Real Madrid v LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne (2025-03-20T19:45:00.000Z)

Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens v ALBA Berlin (2025-03-21T19:15:00.000Z)

FC Barcelona v Zalgiris Kaunas (2025-03-21T19:30:00.000Z)

Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade v Anadolu Efes Istanbul (2025-03-21T19:45:00.000Z)

Back in the top six and feeling good about itself, Paris Basketball still has a long way to go if it is to secure an automatic place in the EuroLeague Playoffs.

Step one complete: Now Paris must gear up for tough three-game road stretch

[Paris Basketball](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/paris-basketball/prs/) has amazed basketball fans all season long with its play, led by Turkish Airlines EuroLeague rookie [TJ Shorts](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/tj-shorts/012608/) and first-year head coach [Tiago Splitter](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/paris-basketball/prs/splitter-tiago/), and the side from the French capital put on a show [against EA7 Emporio Armani Milan on Tuesday night](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/tj-shorts-stars-as-paris-comes-out-on-top-against-milan-92-79/).

Following three successive defeats, Paris knew that anything less than a win would have been devastating, particularly as Milan had the head-to-head advantage after triumphing by five points in Round 2. But a 92-79 victory in Round 30 allowed Paris to secure the tiebreaker and take another step forward in its bid for a top-six finish.

The hope for a direct passage to the 2025 EuroLeague Playoffs is now well and truly on as Paris's victory over Milan allowed it to rise up the standings and back into sixth place. There was a celebratory mode inside Adidas Arena after the team's penultimate home game of the season, yet there is still plenty of work to do if Coach Splitter's squad is to avoid playing in the Play-In Showdown or even dropping out of the postseason picture altogether.

The next three games are going to be vital for Paris. In the double round next week, the EuroLeague newcomer has the unenviable task of facing [Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/panathinaikos-aktor-athens/pan/) and [Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/fenerbahce-beko-istanbul/ulk/) in back-to-back road games, then in Round 33 it travels to take on [Real Madrid](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/real-madrid/mad/). However, Splitter is choosing to look at the positives.

"I think it's always great when we travel," he told EuroLeague TV. "The team, the bonding, is unbelievable.

"We go to dinners together, we stay a lot \[together\] when we travel – on the bus, airplane – and I feel like on those road trips, the team is special. Hopefully we can go to those tough places and get the W."

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="fr" dir="ltr">ISSA WINNNNNNNNNNNN ‼️<br><br>Face à un concurrent direct pour les playoffs l’équipe a fait le job ce soir 😤<br><br>Et que dire de votre soutien Paris…<br><br>MERCI 🖤❤️💙 <a href="https://t.co/Xo2SnipOGo">pic.twitter.com/Xo2SnipOGo</a></p>&mdash; Paris Basketball (@ParisBasketball) <a href="https://twitter.com/ParisBasketball/status/1902112603389727156?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Paris now has a two-win cushion over Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade, Anadolu Efes Istanbul and Real Madrid, which share a 15-14 record but occupy 10th to 12th in the standings. Remember, only the top 10 sides qualify for the postseason, with teams six through 10 battling it out for two playoff spots via the play-in. 

Admittedly, Paris has played a game more than the rest, aside from Milan, but Shorts is feeling as confident as ever.

"I wouldn't say it's back, it never left," Shorts said of Paris's mojo. "Even in our down times, the flow is still the same. We've still got energy, we've still got the vibes. I know people are watching, so nothing has changed. Win, lose or draw, we're going to be ourselves. We're going to be authentically us."

That message is going to have to be stressed even more so over the next three rounds. One big positive for Paris is that it already has experience this season of winning on the road against elite opposition, having stolen wins at AS Monaco, FC Barcelona and Olympiacos Piraeus.

This has been a magical first season in the EuroLeague for Paris, but the job's not done yet. The mission continues, starting in Istanbul next Tuesday night.

Back in the top six and feeling good about itself, the French club still has a long way to go if it is to secure an automatic place in the playoffs

Paris Basketball v EA7 Emporio Armani Milan (2025-03-18T19:30:00.000Z)

Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul v Paris Basketball (2025-03-25T17:45:00.000Z)

TJ Shorts had another MVP-level performance for Paris Basketball in Round 30, this time against Olimpia Milano as the French side took a big step forward in the race to make the EuroLeague Playoffs.

Mr. Inevitable does it again: TJ Shorts keeps adding weight to his MVP case

Another win for [Paris Basketball](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/paris-basketball/prs/) and another day in the office for [TJ Shorts](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/tj-shorts/012608/). It sure has been a special rookie season in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague for the 27-year-old.

On Tuesday night, Shorts was central to everything good for Paris [as it defeated EA7 Emporio Armani Milan 92-79](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/tj-shorts-stars-as-paris-comes-out-on-top-against-milan-92-79/), a result that gave the French team the tiebreaker after previously [losing by five points (79-74)](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/olimpia-milano-grinds-out-tough-home-win-over-paris-basketball-79-74/) in Italy back in Round 2. 

Given that both Paris and Milan entered their Round 30 clash with an identical record, and both firmly in the race for the top six, the head-to-head advantage may end up proving crucial.

Now back to Shorts. What he has done this season really is marvelous, with his latest masterpiece seeing him finish with a 24-point, 10-assist double-double, as well as 6 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 block (his second block of the season) and a 37 PIR. It's not just the stats with him, though. It's much more than that.

Few players in the EuroLeague orchestrate things in the way that Shorts does at Paris; he is the heartbeat of this team and the one who makes everything tick. Nor did many, if any, people expect Paris to be where it currently is in the standings before the season got underway, yet that is a testament to the way in which Shorts had led the team.

The discussion around what makes an MVP is heard in all corners of the globe, but strip it down and what does it come down to: If you take X player off Y team, is there a noticeable difference? In the case of Paris and Shorts, that is 100% true. He has elevated this team to new heights, as he reminded everyone once more in Tuesday's must-win game against Milan.

"This was a very important win," Shorts told EuroLeague TV. "We know what the standings look like, we know how tight it is. To win like this at home, it's huge in this league. We'll carry this momentum for the rest of the season."

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Ici c&#39;est Paris! 🇫🇷 <a href="https://twitter.com/ParisBasketball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ParisBasketball</a> <br><br>TJ Shorts leading the fans in the post game celebrations 🥳🎉 <a href="https://t.co/68IONhWbRN">pic.twitter.com/68IONhWbRN</a></p>&mdash; Turkish Airlines EuroLeague (@EuroLeague) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague/status/1902112870432706990?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Whenever Shorts went to the free-throw line, chants of "MVP" echoed down from the stands at Adidas Arena – a regular occurrence this season. Yet, particularly after three straight defeats in the EuroLeague, Paris needed an MVP-level display from its star man and that's exactly what it got. 

Not only did Round 30 see Shorts post his fourth double-double in the EuroLeague, but it is the 13th time he has scored 20 points or more. For those keeping count, fellow MVP candidates [Kendrick Nunn](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/kendrick-nunn/012774/) of [Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/panathinaikos-aktor-athens/pan/) and [Sasha Vezenkov](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/sasha-vezenkov/003469/) of [Olympiacos Piraeus](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/olympiacos-piraeus/oly/) have reached 20 points on 14 and 12 occasions, respectively, this season, while neither player has dished 10 assists in a game. 

For now, Shorts won't care about any of that. He was able to let his hair down after the final buzzer against Milan by celebrating with the Kop of Paname fan group, but he will be well aware that a tough stretch awaits. 

Next up for Paris, it faces three straight road games at [Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/fenerbahce-beko-istanbul/ulk/), Panathinaikos and [Real Madrid](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/real-madrid/mad/) before seeing out the regular season at home to ALBA Berlin. Should Paris come through that spell of games unscathed and still sitting in the top six, Shorts is going to be a huge reason why. 

Who knows, perhaps that could be enough to see Shorts take home the MVP trophy, too.

The EuroLeague rookie had another exceptional performance in Round 30 as Paris beat Milan

TJ Shorts finished with a 24-point, 10-assist double-double as Paris Basketball beat Olimpia Milano 92-79 to secure the tiebreaker between the two teams.

TJ Shorts stars as Paris comes out on top against Milan, 92-79

Paris Basketball downed EA7 Emporio Armani Milan 92-79 in Round 30 to grab the tiebreaker between these two sides, which could be crucial come the end of the regular season. Ettore Messina's men won by five points back in Round 2, but Tuesday night's 13-point victory gave Tiago Splitter's squad the head-to-head advantage. Both Paris and Milan entered this clash with an identical 16-13 record, but Paris now improved to 17-13 while Milan dropped to 16-14. 

TJ Shorts was outstanding for the hosts, posting a 24-point, 10-assist double-double in addition to 6 rebounds, 2 steals and 1 block. Sebastian Herrera and Maodo Lo both added 13 points, and Tyson Ward poured in 11. Milan's leading scorer was Fabien Causeur with 18 points, followed by Nico Mannion with 17, Zach LeDay with 14 and Shavon Shields with 10.

It was a perfect start for Paris, which opened the game with a 12-0 run that included threes by Mikael Jantunen, Ward and Yakuba Ouattara. Paris debutant Mathis Dossou-Yovo entered the contest and made a near-instant impression with a dunk to give Paris a 14-6 edge. Milan was starting to get some momentum thanks to the threeball, and Mannion knocked down two in quick succession – his second and third triples of the game – before Stefano Tonut’s pull-up three made it 16-15. Shorts then scored four points in the remainder of the period as Paris led 22-18 after 10 minutes, with all of Milan’s points coming on three-pointers.

Shorts and Ward combined for five points as Paris went up 27-18 to start the period, but Tonut hit back with four points of his own, 27-22. Mannion moved to 11 points as Milan kept up with Paris, 30-24, but the hosts continued to find ways to score, first through Doussou-Yovo and then Nadir Hifi, 35-24. Nikola Mirotic got his first points of the game from the line, 35-26 before a layup by Giampaolo Ricci and back-to-back scores by Mannion, with a Lo three-pointer in between, made it a six-point ballgame, 38-32. A strong finish to the half by Paris, however, saw Tiago Splitter’s side go on an 11-0 run, featuring five points from Shorts and a pair of threes by Herrera and Jantunen as the lead swelled to 48-37 at the break.

Things only got worse for Milan after halftime, with Paris going on an 8-2 stretch to lead by 17 points, 56-39. Shorts responded to a Shavon Shields score to retain that 17-point advantage at 58-41 before Causeur took over. The Frenchman scored 15 points for Milan as the momentum began to swing the way of the visitors, who trailed by just four points at 69-65. Yet, Ward, Herrera and Shorts stepped up in the latter stages of the period in a 7-2 run, which made it 76-67 entering the final frame.

Mannion took his tally to 17 points with a mid-range jumper at the start of the fourth, 76-69, but Herrera continued his impressive night with a deep three, 79-69, then Shorts recorded just his second block of the season by rejecting Mannion. Some bad news befell Paris as Jantunen went down with a lower leg injury and had to make his way back to the locker room, but Ward and Shorts kept Paris in control at 84-71. LeDay tried his best to breathe fire into Milan’s comeback attempt, scoring all eight of his team’s points in a three-and-a-half-minute stretch, but Paris still led 87-77. The game was effectively put to bed when, following a pair of Lo free throws, the German point guard had all the time in the world to knock down a three-pointer, which gave Paris a 92-77 lead. Shields’s layup with 1:27 proved to be the final points scored in the contest.

The guard finished with a double-double in yet another MVP-level performance