As confirmed by the club on Tuesday afternoon, forward [Metecan Birsen](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/metecan-birsen/003091/) will miss about six weeks due to a shoulder injury suffered in the last domestic league game against Karsiyaka.

Birsen (2.05 meters, 27 years old) averages 2.4 points and 1.6 rebounds in 23 EuroLeague appearances with Fenerbahce this season. 

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="tr" dir="ltr">Metecan Birsen&#39;in sağlık durumu hakkında bilgilendirme.<br><br>🔗 <a href="https://t.co/tr4X72KQud">https://t.co/tr4X72KQud</a> <a href="https://t.co/Efu6bXMbBW">pic.twitter.com/Efu6bXMbBW</a></p>&mdash; Fenerbahçe Beko (@FBBasketbol) <a href="https://twitter.com/FBBasketbol/status/1635614449053708289?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 14, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Fenerbahce's Metecan Birsen, out six weeks

The Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season is starting to draw to a close, and we may see the first teams officially qualify for the playoffs in Round 29. The race to reach the postseason remains as tight as ever and several teams remain alive, including 13th-placed EA7 Emporio Armani Milan, who has climbed up the standings after going on a six-game winning streak. Several superstars have stepped up in recent weeks, some of whom are among those we recommend  buying in the [EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge powered by Ardu Prime](https://euroleaguefantasy.euroleaguebasketball.net/es/home?_ga=2.120735499.286757300.1678693873-884385655.1669721726). Here are the players who have been red hot lately: 

[Darius Thompson, Cazoo Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/darius-thompson/011078/) (14.4 credits) – Thompson has recorded three consecutive double-doubles – for points and assists – in the last three games, becoming the second player in EuroLeague history to accomplish this feat since Nick Calathes. In the last three games, Thompson has averaged 18.0 points, 3.0 rebounds, 12.3 assists and a PIR of 28.3. Outstanding! 

[Nikola Mirotic, FC Barcelona](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/nikola-mirotic/000796/) (15.3 credits) – It is do-or-die time for most teams, and that's typically when the stars come out to the fore. And of course, Mirotic is the reigning EuroLeague MVP, no less. In Barca's last three contests, Mirotic has been simply outstanding, averaging 22.0 points, 4.7 rebounds and a PIR of 21.7. In other words, Niko has been Niko. 

Darius Thompson, Nikola Mirotic, Jordan Loyd, Nigel Hayes-Davis and Kevin Punter are featured in this week's article.

Fantasy tips Regular Season: Round 29

[Jordan Loyd, AS Monaco](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/jordan-loyd/009754/) (12.4 credits) – Mike James suffered an injury ahead of Round 28, which meant that Loyd and Elie Okobo had to step their games up a notch to replace Monaco's scoring leader. Truth be told, Loyd has been playing well for a while now, averaging 16.2 points on 14-of-20 two-pointers (70% 2FG), 12-of-26 three-pointers (46% 3FG) and a PIR of 16.4. He remains a very solid choice until James returns to action.

[Nigel Hayes-Davis, Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/nigel-hayes-davis/008962/) (11.3 credits) – Dyshawn Pierre is set to be sidelined for pretty much the remainder of the regular season, which means that Hayes-Davis is set to see a bigger role on offense. He has already impressed in the last couple of games, averaging 13.0 points and a PIR of 16.5, but he could take another step forward. 

[Kevin Punter, Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/kevin-punter/009862/) (13.7 credits) – Partizan is fighting it out for a playoff spot, having gone 6-2 over its last eight games, and Punter's steady contribution has been key in that period. He scored 14 points or more in each of his team's last seven games, averaging 18.3 points and a PIR of 18.6, while he has also made 100% free throws. Punter is playing a leading role for Partizan in crunch time, too.

Fantasy tips, Round 29: Stars stepping up!

Valencia Basket v Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul (2023-03-16T19:30:00.000Z)

FC Bayern Munich v ALBA Berlin (2023-03-17T19:30:00.000Z)

FC Barcelona v Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade (2023-03-17T19:30:00.000Z)

LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne v Panathinaikos Athens (2023-03-16T20:00:00.000Z)

Real Madrid v EA7 Emporio Armani Milan (2023-03-16T19:45:00.000Z)

Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv v Cazoo Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz (2023-03-16T19:05:00.000Z)

Zalgiris Kaunas v Olympiacos Piraeus (2023-03-16T18:00:00.000Z)

AS Monaco v Virtus Segafredo Bologna (2023-03-16T18:00:00.000Z)

Anadolu Efes Istanbul v Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade (2023-03-16T17:30:00.000Z)

 A quarter with Kyle Hines and Louis Olinde 

A Quarter with Kyle Hines, the podcast in which the four-time champion talks to his fellow Turkish Airlines EuroLeague players, welcomes Louis Olinde of ALBA Berlin to talk about his best season yet in the EuroLeague, and how confidence and experience have made him a better player.

A quarter with Kyle Hines and Louis Olinde

 A Quarter with Kyle Hines and Louis Olinde 

EuroLeague Diaries gets down in Piraeus!  

In the third episode of EuroLeague Diaries, Sofia del Prado and Dane Arlauckas dive into the basketball culture in Piraeus, Greece, on the occasion of the top-of-the-table showdown between Olympiacos and FC Barcelona. Among their special guests are Olympiacos stars Sasha Vezenkov and Thomas Walkup and club legends Theo Papaloukas and Georgios Printezis. Sofia and Dane go behind the scenes for some exclusive viewpoints surrounding the game at Peace and Friendship Stadium. Check out what they found on of EuroLeague Diaries!

EuroLeague Diaries gets down in Piraeus!

Olympiacos Piraeus v FC Barcelona (2023-03-07T19:00:00.000Z)

In a rescheduled Round 24 game, Anadolu Efes Istanbul (13-14) welcomes Real Madrid (19-8) on Tuesday hoping that Shane Larkin and Vasilije Micic are recovered enough from their injuries to help gain a nearly do-or-die result for the defending champs.

 Different targets as Efes, Real Madrid meet Tuesday 

In a rescheduled Round 24 game in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague due to the tragic earthquake in Turkiye and Syria, [Anadolu Efes Istanbul (13-14) welcomes Real Madrid (19-8) to Sinan Erdem Sports Hall](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2022-23/anadolu-efes-istanbul-real-madrid/E2022/213/) this Tuesday evening (18:30 CET).

While *Los Blancos* are comfortably in the playoff places, sitting second in the standings, Efes is 10th and has seen its postseason hopes take a dip after suffering back-to-back losses. Time is starting to run out for Efes, with just seven games remaining in its regular-season calendar.

That said, a win against Real would see Ergin Ataman's group find itself just a victory behind Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv and Zalgiris Kaunas for the eighth and final spot that guarantees a place in the playoffs. It will not be easy, though, as Real has won six of its last seven games and could reach the playoffs before the week ends with a win in Istanbul.

After falling 94-75 early last week at Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade on a night when both Vasilije Micic and Shane Larkin were inactive due to injury, both players returned against Maccabi later last week. However, Efes still came up short, losing 64-86 on its home floor after being down by 21 points, 33-54, at halftime. Speaking afterward, Coach Ataman admitted that he had taken a risk to play Micic and Larkin in Round 28, while he also pointed to the injury picked up by Rodrigue Beaubois early in the Maccabi game.

"It was a very important game for us," Coach Ataman said after the defeat to Maccabi. "Actually, we had three players that normally wouldn't play in this game, but we took a gamble to put all three on the court. It is a strong loss for us, but like I said, the \[injury\] situation of Micic, Larkin and Beaubois created big damage for us in this part of the season."

The stage is set for a crucial battle in the race for the playoffs. Efes hope to have Shane Larkin and Vasilije Micić available after they missed the loss at Zvezda, whilst Maccabi endeavour to expose any frailties via the presence of dynamic duo Lorenzo Brown and Wade Baldwin to help enhance their playoff-pursuit.

Anadolu Efes Istanbul vs Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv - Round 28 - Highlights

It is a different story for Real, however. Despite seeing its five-game winning streak halted against Cazoo Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz last Tuesday to open the double-round week, Chus Mateo's charges responded with a 95-91 triumph over Spanish rival Valencia Basket in Round 28. Coach Mateo has almost a full squad available, too, with Guerschon Yabusele and Sergio Llull being the only regulars who did not play against Valencia.

One player who stood out for Real in Round 28 was forward Gabriel Deck, who became MVP of the Round after scoring 18 points – 10 of which came in the fourth quarter – and grabbing 7 rebounds, while he also dished 2 assists. Just ahead of this rematch of the 2022 EuroLeague Championship Game, which Efes won 57-58 to become the back-to-back champion, Deck showed that he is ready to lead *Los Blancos* from the front.

After succumbing to one Spanish visitor, a wounded Madrid roster seek redemption versus another. Valencia strive to overhaul their form after losing three in a row, mainly due to a porous defense conceding a 98 ppg average, which may encourage Real sharpshooter Dzanan Musa, who's scored double digits in his last ten EuroLeague outings.

Real Madrid vs Valencia Basket - Round 28 - Highlights

When the two teams faced off at WiZink Center earlier this season, back in Round 7, Real was able to exact some revenge against Efes by [downing the Turkish team 94-8](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2022-23/real-madrid-anadolu-efes-istanbul/E2022/59/)5\. That day, Deck and Vincent Poirier each scored a team-high 13 points for Real, who also had Yabusele and Adam Hanga contribute 11 apiece and Llull add 10. For Efes, Will Clyburn finished with 25 points and Ante Zizic had 17, with Micic contributing 15 and now ex-guard Isaiah Taylor scoring 13.

It appears as though Micic and Larkin will both be able to feature this Tuesday night, having played in Efes's domestic fixture over the weekend, but Beaubois is ruled out. What's more, Efes could have a notable absence in its frontcourt with Ante Zizic, who is questionable. Meanwhile, Yabusele did not play for Real in Spanish League action last weekend, and Nigel Williams-Goss suffered a muscular problem in the sixth minute of that game and has not traveled to Istanbul. Llull remains on the sidelines, as is the case for Carlos Alocen and Anthony Randolph.

Both Efes and Real will feel like they need to win, which should make for a fascinating game at Sinan Erdem Sports Hall. Their short-term goals are different, it's true, but a victory for either team would set them up nicely heading into Round 29 against Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade and EA7 Emporio Armani Milan, respectively, on Thursday night. Tune in on Tuesday from 18:30 CET to see how Efes vs. Real unfolds!

Game News

Different targets as Efes, Real Madrid meet Tuesday

Anadolu Efes Istanbul v Real Madrid (2023-03-14T17:30:00.000Z)

Round 29 of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague will be preceded by a bonus game on Tuesday, and it's a huge one as last season's championship game is repeated. Here's your guide to 10 games over Tuesday, Thursday and Friday.

This Week: Defending champs face two pivotal tests

Round 29 of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague will be preceded by a bonus game on Tuesday, and it's a huge one as last season's championship game is repeated. Here's your guide to 10 games over Tuesday, Thursday and Friday.

[Anadolu Efes Istanbul vs. Real Madrid](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2022-23/anadolu-efes-istanbul-real-madrid/E2022/213/)

The week begins early on Tuesday with a rearranged game from Round 24 that was postponed due to the earthquakes in Turkiye and Syria. This rematch of last season's championship game is a vital one for 10th-placed Efes (13-14), which has slipped two wins away from the playoff positions by losing both games last week. Real (19-8), meanwhile, is looking to strengthen its position in the top four by ending a four-game losing streak at Sinan Erdem Dome with the powerful incentive of knowing that wins in both of its games this week will be enough to qualify mathematically for the playoffs.

This week at a glance: Anadolu Efes Istanbul vs. Real Madrid

[Anadolu Efes Istanbul vs. Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2022-23/anadolu-efes-istanbul-partizan-mozzart-bet-belgrade/E2022/253/)

After that meeting with Real, Efes (13-14) then welcomes another dangerous offensive opponent with a visit from Partizan (15-13), which is one of four teams currently tied for sixth place and looking to consolidate its position in the top eight by taking a big road win from Thursday's opening tip. The Serbian team can also seal the potentially valuable head-to-head advantage after having won December's meeting between the teams 82-79, powered by 18 points apiece by dynamic guard duo Dante Exum and Kevin Punter.

[Zalgiris Kaunas vs. Olympiacos Piraeus](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2022-23/zalgiris-kaunas-olympiacos-piraeus/E2022/255/)

Red-hot league leader Olympiacos (20-8) can become the first team to secure a place in the playoffs by winning at Zalgiris (15-13), but the host will have very different ideas as it continues a run of five home games out of six. The first of those saw a dominant victory over ASVEL last week, with in-form guard Ignas Bradzeikis reaching double digits in scoring (19 points) for the sixth game out of seven. But the main challenge for Zalgiris is finding a way to stop a rampant Olympiacos offense which kept on rolling with 102 points against Bayern last time out on the back of a club-record 19 three-pointers.

[AS Monaco vs. Virtus Segafredo Bologna](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2022-23/as-monaco-virtus-segafredo-bologna/E2022/254/)

Monaco (18-10) will look to protect its fourth-place standing with a visit from Virtus (13-15), which doesn't want its gap to the playoffs places to widen any more than the current two wins. Mid-season signing Chima Moneke was the key figure in Monaco's big win at Baskonia, becoming the Round 28's co-MVP with his first EuroLeague double-double. With his power supplementing the backcourt scoring skills of players like Jordan Loyd, who is averaging 16.2 points in the last five games, Virtus will need a big performance to prevail in this meeting of the last two EuroCup winners.

[Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv vs. Cazoo Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2022-23/maccabi-playtika-tel-aviv-cazoo-baskonia-vitoria-gasteiz/E2022/256/)

Two of the four teams tied for sixth place go head to head in a potentially decisive showdown as Maccabi (15-13) hosts Baskonia (15-13). The visiting team can take confidence from a stunning 29-point victory over Maccabi earlier this season, when Markus Howard blasted 23 points, but the host has nothing to fear after showing its potential by beating both Fenerbahce and Efes last week. Baskonia's offense has been superbly led of late by Darius Thompson, who has averaged 12.3 assists in the last three games, so slowing him down will be key for Maccabi.

This week at a glance: Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv vs. Cazoo Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz

[Valencia Basket vs. Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2022-23/valencia-basket-fenerbahce-beko-istanbul/E2022/261/)

Valencia (13-15) is running out of time to reignite its playoffs challenge after losing four consecutive games. Fenerbahce (17-10) is looking strong after three wins out of four but will have to cope without the versatility of Dyshawn Pierre, who could miss the rest of the regular season through injury. Fenerbahce won in a 79-77 thriller when the teams met in October thanks to 5 triples from Scottie Wilbekin, will look for similar long-range shooting prowess again.

[Real Madrid vs. EA7 Emporio Armani Milan](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2022-23/real-madrid-ea7-emporio-armani-milan/E2022/257/)

After visiting Efes on Tuesday, Real (19-8) has a quick turnaround to host red-hot Milan (12-15) on Thursday. The Italian team has won six games in a row, the second-best winning streak in the competition this season, and will be able to seriously start thinking about the playoffs with a big road win this week. The remarkable transformation for Ettore Messina's team has been largely achieved through defense, having recently held the powerful offenses of Partizan and Olympiacos to just 62 points each, and a similar effort will be required in the Spanish capital, where Real made 25 of 35 two-pointers in its last victory, against Valencia.

[LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne vs. Panathinaikos Athens](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2022-23/ldlc-asvel-villeurbanne-panathinaikos-athens/E2022/259/)

ASVEL (8-20) has already been eliminated from post-season contention after losing seven games in a row, but can now inflict the same fate on Panathinaikos (9-19), which must win out to have any chance of reaching the top eight. New Greens coach Christos Serelis enjoyed his first victory with an excellent second-half performance against Zvezda last week based on a defense that only allowed 24 points in the final two periods. Panathinaikos will look to build on that success by delivering similar intensity in France.

[FC Bayern Munich vs. ALBA Berlin](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2022-23/fc-bayern-munich-alba-berlin/E2022/260/)

A German derby for Friday's opening tipoff will see Bayern (11-17) attempt to maintain its slim playoffs ambitions against rock-bottom ALBA (7-21), which has won just once in its last 10 games. Bayern is a perfect 6-0 in all previous EuroLeague meetings between the teams, including a 77-79 triumph in Berlin in November behind 4 triples from Andreas Obst, who has made at least one three-pointer in 13 of the last 14 gamed but went 1-of-7 from beyond the arc last week against Olympiacos. 

[FC Barcelona vs. Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2022-23/fc-barcelona-crvena-zvezda-meridianbet-belgrade/E2022/258/)

Barcelona (18-10) is desperate to bounce back and strengthen its position in the top four after losing twice on the road last week. Zvezda (12-16) suffered a deflating defeat in Athens last week and now has little room for error in its quest for the playoffs. Former Real Madrid playmaker Facundo Campazzo will be eager to bounce back against a familiar opponent after going scoreless in the loss at Panathinaikos, while Barca needs more offensive production after scoring just 70 and 73 points in last week's defeats.

This Week: Playoff ramifications everywhere

Bayern has won all six previous games against ALBA in the EuroLeague, including two in overtime. In Round 7, Bayern held off ALBA 77-79 with Augustine Rubit and Andreas Obst each scoring 14 points.

ALBA won the German League in both 2021 and 2022 by beating Bayern 3-1 in the best-of-five finals.

ALBA point guard Maodo Lo played two seasons for Bayern, from 2018 to 2020, and made 57 appearances in the EuroLeague.

ALBA's Louis Olinde and Lo made their respective EuroLeague debuts under current Bayern coach Andrea Trinchieri at Brose Bamberg during the 2016-17 season. They were also together for the first part of the 2017-18 season.

Niels Giffey spent the first seven seasons of his professional career with ALBA. He was ALBA's team captain and was a teammate of the majority of the players on the current ALBA roster.

ALBA's Luke Sikma and Bayern's Vladimir Lucic were teammates at Valencia Basket during the 2015-16 season.

ALBA's Maodo Lo and Johannes Thiemann have been teammates on the German national team with Bayern's Giffey, Nick Weiler-Babb and Andreas Obst, they won a bronze medal at EuroBasket 2022.

ALBA's Lo and Thiemann have been also been teammates on the German national team with Bayern's Paul Zipser.

Bayern's Elias Harris was a teammate of ALBA's Thiemann at Brose Bamberg for three seasons, from 2013 to 2016.

Harris was also a teammate of Lo and Olinde at Bamberg during the 2016-17 season.

Bayern big man Augustine Rubit and the ALBA duo of Lo and Olinde were teammates at Brose Bamberg during the 2017-18 season.

ALBA swingman Yovel Zoosman and Bayern center Othello Hunter were teammates at Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv for two seasons, from 2019 to 2021.

ALBA's Luke Sikma had a career-best 10 assists in a 101-95 loss against Bayern in February 2021.

In that same game, ALBA center Ben Lammers scored a career-high 20 points and made a career-best 10 two-point shots.

Bayern's Paul Zipser had a career-high 3 steals against ALBA in that win.

In their last EuroLeague clash, Bayern playmaker Nick Weiler-Babb posted his career-high with 6 steals in a 62-56 win in January 2022.

ALBA swingman Yovel Zoosman set his career-high with 8 rebounds playing for Maccabi against Bayern in December 2019.

Game Videos

A German derby for Friday's opening tipoff will see Bayern (11-17) attempt to maintain its slim playoffs ambitions against rock-bottom ALBA (7-21), which has won just once in its last 10 games. Bayern is a perfect 6-0 in all previous EuroLeague meetings between the teams, including a 77-79 triumph in Berlin in November behind 4 triples from Andreas Obst, who has made at least one three-pointer in 13 of the last 14 gamed but went 1-of-7 from beyond the arc last week against Olympiacos.

Game Notes: Bayern vs. ALBA

### LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne

**Streaks**

Nando De Colo has made at least 1 three-point shot in eight straight and 13 of his last 14 games.

Antoine Diot has made 12 consecutive free throws dating back to the 2020-21 season.

Diot has made at least 1 three-point shot in five of his last six games.

Retin Obasohan has collected at least 1 steal in five of his last six games.

Dee Bost has made at least 1 three-point shot in each of his nine appearances this season, and in 12 straight games dating back to the 2018-19 season.

Bost has at least 1 steal in five straight games.

Youssoupha Fall has scored 10 or more points in six of his last seven games.

Fall has pulled down 5 or more rebounds in seven of his last eight games.

Fall had a PIR of 10 or more in seven straight and 11 of his last 12 games.

**Rankings entering this week**

Youssoupha Fall is tied for fourth this season in rebounding with 6.1 per game.

Fall ranks seventh this season in offensive rebounding with 2.2 per game.

Retin Obasohan ranks 10th this season in steals with 1.3 per game.

Nando De Colo is tied for seventh this season in free throw accuracy at 90.9%.

Alex Tyus ranks ninth this season in two-point shooting at 70.1%.

**Records/Milestones entering this week**

Nando De Colo is the all-time leader in free-throw accuracy at 93.3%.

De Colo is the all-time leader with 4,682 index rating points.

De Colo is ranked second all-time in scoring with 4,154 points. Vassilis Spanoulis is the all-time leader with 4,455.

De Colo ranks second all-time with 996 free throws made. Vassilis Spanoulis is the all-time leader with 1,131.

De Colo ranks seventh all-time with 961 two-pointers made. Felipe Reyes is sixth with 971.

De Colo ranks sixth all-time in steals with 307. Pablo Prigioni is fifth with 322.

De Colo is 12th all-time in assists with 955. Theo Papaloukas is 11th with 977.

De Colo is in 13th place all-time with 412 career triples made. Gianluca Basile is 12th with 421.

Youssoupha Fall ranks ninth all-time in two-point accuracy at 65.9%.

Alex Tyus ranks fifth all-time in blocks with 233. Fran Vazquez is fourth with 249.

### Panathinaikos Athens

**Streaks**

Paris Lee has made at least 1 three-point shot in 11 of his last 12 games.

Lee has posted a PIR of 11 or more in seven of his last eight games.

Dwayne Bacon has scored in double figures in six of his last seven games.

Mateusz Ponitka had double-digit PIRs in five of his last six games.

Arturas Gudaitis has blocked at least 1 shot in four straight games.

Gudaitis has collected at least 1 steal in four straight games.

**Rankings entering this week**

Dwayne Bacon ranks second this season in scoring with 17.4 per game.

Georgios Papagiannis ranks 10th this season in rebounding with 5.6 per game.

Papagiannis ranks second this season in blocks with 1.2 per game.

Paris Lee is tied for seventh this season in steals with 1.3 per game.

**Records/Milestones entering this week**

Marius Grigonis ranks third all-time in free throw accuracy at 91.4%.

Grigonis ranks 11th all-time in three-point accuracy at 43.9%.

Georgios Papagiannis ranks 18th all-time in two-point accuracy at 63.3%.

Papagiannis needs 26 rebounds to reach 800 for his career.

Nate Wolters ranks 15th all-time with a 2.5-to-1 career assist-to-turnover ratio.

Arturas Gudaitis needs 53 points to reach 1,500 for his career.

Gudaitis needs 4 rebounds to reach 800 for his career.

Derrick Williams needs 4 three-point shots made to reach 200 for his career.

ASVEL (8-20) has already been eliminated from post-season contention after losing seven games in a row, but can now inflict the same fate on Panathinaikos (9-19), which must win out to have any chance of reaching the top eight. New Greens coach Christos Serelis enjoyed his first victory with an excellent second-half performance against Zvezda last week based on a defense that only allowed 24 points in the final two periods. Panathinaikos will look to build on that success by delivering similar intensity in France.

Game Facts: ASVEL vs. Panathinaikos

Olympiacos leads Zalgiris 16-13 in their meetings this century. In Round 2, Olympiacos beat Zalgiris 90-80 behind 23 points plus a career-high 14 rebounds from Sasha Vezenkov, who earned MVP of the Round honor for that performance.

Last season Olympiacos swept Zalgiris, including a 73-84 win in Kaunas behind 18 points from Kostas Papanikolaou.

Zalgiris's last win over Olympiacos was an 81-79 decision in January 2021 in Kaunas when Thomas Walkup, now with Olympiacos, scored with 1 second remaining to cap a 9-0 run in the last 2 minutes and win the game for Zalgiris.

Zalgiris ousted Olympiacos from the 2018 EuroLeague Playoffs with a 3-1 series win without the home-court advantage.

Zalgiris forward Edgaras Ulanovas earned MVP of the Round honors against Olympiacos in Game 4 of the 2018 EuroLeague Playoffs. He had 20 points, 9 rebounds and a performance index rating of 27.

Zalgiris and Olympiacos faced each other in the 1999 Final Four in Munich, Germany. It was the first-ever official clash between these two sides. Zalgiris downed Olympiacos 87-71 in the semifinals behind 19 points from Anthony Bowie and went on to lift its first – and to date only – EuroLeague trophy.

Thomas Walkup joined Olympiacos from Zalgiris in the summer of 2021. He spent three years in Kaunas, never missing a EuroLeague game and appearing in all 96 games Zalgiris played over that span.

Olympiacos forward Alec Peters was also a teammate of Zalgiris forward Achille Polonara at Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz during the 2020-21 season.

Olympiacos guard Kostas Sloukas delivered a career-high 11 assists playing for Fenerbahce Istanbul in an 82-68 win over Zalgiris in October 2016.

Sloukas collected a career-best 4 steals playing for Fenerbahce against Zalgiris in April 2019.

Olympiacos center Moustapha Fall posted his career-high in offensive rebounds with 7 playing for LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne against Zalgiris in October 2020.

Red-hot league leader Olympiacos (20-8) can become the first team to secure a place in the playoffs by winning at Zalgiris (15-13), but the host will have very different ideas as it continues a run of five home games out of six. The first of those saw a dominant victory over ASVEL last week, with in-form guard Ignas Bradzeikis reaching double digits in scoring (19 points) for the sixth game out of seven. But the main challenge for Zalgiris is finding a way to stop a rampant Olympiacos offense which kept on rolling with 102 points against Bayern last time out on the back of a club-record 19 three-pointers.

Fenerbahce's Metecan Birsen, out six weeks

Fantasy tips, Round 29: Stars stepping up!

A Quarter with Kyle Hines and Louis Olinde

EuroLeague Diaries gets down in Piraeus!

Different targets as Efes, Real Madrid meet Tuesday

This Week: Playoff ramifications everywhere

Game Notes: Bayern vs. ALBA

Game Facts: ASVEL vs. Panathinaikos

Game Notes: Zalgiris vs. Olympiacos