 Kazys Maksvytis, Zalgiris: 'We're still fighting for the playoffs' 

### Zalgiris Kaunas head coach Kazys Maksvytis

"I am very happy for the win and congratulations to my team and our fans. It’s very hard to win here in Berlin against ALBA. It doesn’t matter what position they are in, they play good basketball with a good coach. From our side, it was like a playoff game for us. We're still fighting for the playoffs, and maybe because of this we missed a lot of free throws. I am happy that we controlled the game with our defense. If an offensive team like ALBA scores only 63 points, it's a good result. Of course, offensively we can be much better but we will take this win."

### ALBA Berlin head coach Israel Gonzalez

"Congratulations to Zalgiris for the good game they had on defense. We have a boot with a lot of holes. We are always trying to cover the holes but there is always a new one. We defended well today with a  very good effort. But we couldn't play with confidence on offense. We were thinking and trying to limit the number of turnovers. Maybe that made us play with less happiness and we were less confident and didn't want to take risks. We need to find a balance of rising a lot when we are playing and being conservative. The team right now is having a bad time and I will try anything I can to help it."

### Zalgiris Kaunas forward Achille Polonara

"It was a tough moment for us because we had lost the last two games in the EuroLeague. So we are really happy that we won on a tough court against a very good team. And I think we deserve it."

### Zalgiris Kaunas center Kevarrius Hayes

"(About Isaiah Taylor) We love his speed and aggressiveness. He’s really good at getting downhill. I feel he was very good at giving us the lead. It was a tough game, a close matchup and we needed those big time. He delivered."

Game Videos

Game News

Kazys Maksvytis, Zalgiris: 'We're still fighting for the playoffs'

ALBA Berlin v Zalgiris Kaunas (2023-03-07T19:00:00.000Z)

EuroLeague Live Blog: The double-round week begins here!

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Round 27, Tuesday blog: Olympiacos, Baskonia, Zalgiris grab huge wins

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

Virtus Segafredo Bologna v Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade (2023-03-07T19:30:00.000Z)

Valencia Basket v EA7 Emporio Armani Milan (2023-03-07T19:30:00.000Z)

FC Bayern Munich v LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne (2023-03-07T20:00:00.000Z)

Real Madrid v Cazoo Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz (2023-03-07T19:45:00.000Z)

Olympiacos Piraeus rallied from double-digit deficits to turn back visiting FC Barcelona 77-70 on Tuesday and put one foot into the playoffs. The Reds raised their record to 19-8 while Barca fell to 18-9.
A bench brigade led by Shaquielle McKissic, with 16 points and 4 assists, and Giannoulis Larentzakis, with 14 points and 4 rebounds, paced the winners. Barcelona got 19 points from Nikola Mirotic.

 Olympiacos sweeps Barca, 77-70, to put one foot in playoffs 

Olympiacos Piraeus rallied from double-digit deficits to turn back visiting FC Barcelona 77-70 on Tuesday and put one foot into the playoffs. The Reds raised their record to 19-8 and put their eventual postseason qualification in the category of a formality while completing a 2-0 sweep of Barcelona, whose record fell to 18-9.

A bench brigade led by Shaquielle McKissic, with 16 points and 4 assists, and Giannoulis Larentzakis, with 14 points and 4 rebounds, paced the winners. Sasha Vezenkov added 13 points and 7 rebounds. Barcelona got 19 points from Nikola Mirotic, 15 from Nicolas Laprovittola and 13 from Sertac Sanli but after having started strong, suffered from poor 9-for-29 three-point shooting (31.0%).

Barcelona followed 15 points split between Mirotic and Sanli to a commanding 11-22 advantage early in the second quarter, which is when the Olympiacos reserves turned the game around, scrapping for rebounds and second chances. Larentzakis hit his first of 4 three-pointers to trigger a 12-0 takeover run that Kostas Sloukas finished with a layup at 23-22. McKissic used an offensive rebound to reset in the corner for a buzzer-beating triple worth a 29-27 halftime lead for the Reds.

Whereas the two teams shared 4-for-25 shooting from deep in the first 20 minutes, Laprovittola fired up the visitors with back-to-back triples and a new Barca lead of 31-33 right after the break. McKissic and Vezenkov took that lead back at 39-36, also from the arc, and the Reds nursed it to a 50-45 edge after 30 minutes. Barca got as close as 53-51 early in the fourth, but Larentzakis, McKissic and Tarik Black stretched that to 59-51 as the Olympiacos defense held the visitors to free throws for several minutes. When Nikola Kalinic got Barca to within 63-60 with under 5 minutes left, Larentzakis traded triples with Cory Higgins and then came up with his fourth to shut the door, 75-65, with a minute to play.

Olympiacos sweeps Barca to put one foot in playoffs

 Shaquielle McKissic, Olympiacos: 'I'm just relieved that it's over' 

### Giorgios Bartzokas, Olympiacos head coach

"First of all congratulations to the team, to the players and our fans, for one more amazing night here. Beyond the final result, which is happy for us, we think that after the tough loss that we had in Milan, we needed to bounce back playing against one of the most difficult teams to play. So we controlled our emotions, we considered the game possession by possession, although we didn't start well. We were nervous in the beginning, missing free throws, missing shots, making rushed decisions. In the second quarter, we increased the intensity of our defense. We ended that quarter winning by two. And then we just had to protect our paint, because Barca is really good attacking inside with their tall forwards and centers. And finally, overall, our defense was really solid. Good luck to Barca."

### Sarunas Jasikevicius, Barcelona head coach

"I think we needed to move the ball a little bit better. We needed to hit some shots. Even though in the second half we hit some, we still got lost in some back-door cuts and other little things. Overall, a ball here and there, one made shot here or there, and it could have been a different ballgame."

### Giannoulis Larentzakis, Olympiacos player

"I try always to do my best and to help my team with everything; with defense, with offense, with hustle types of games. I'm happy because it was a very important win for our home advantage, and now we keep going because in the next few days we play against Bayern."

### Shaquielle McKissic, Olympiacos player

"I think that second unit, you know, sometimes we have competitions with the first unit, and today was just our day. I believe in \[Larentzakis\] a lot and he believes in me, so we have a lot of fun out there. Coach believed in us, and we just went out there and fought hard, played hard on defense. And we knew that it's a big win. I'm just relieved that it's over."

Shaquielle McKissic, Olympiacos: 'I'm just relieved that it's over'

In the crowded upper echelon of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague standings, Real Madrid, Olympiacos Piraeus and FC Barcelona – each with 18 wins – have gained some separation from the rest of the pack but, with eight rounds to go, no team has yet to qualify for the playoffs.

At the end of this double-round week, though, two of them might be able to book the very first playoff spots of a remarkably competitive season. One team that could do that is Real Madrid (18-7). The other is whichever team wins Tuesday's marquee Round 27 opener between Olympiacos and Barcelona, both 18-8.

If any of that trio of teams wins twice this week and gets some help along the way – primarily in the form of Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv (13-13), Valencia Basket (13-13) and Zalgiris Kaunas (13-13) all losing twice – it will punch a playoff ticket at the end of Round 28.

Tuesday's showdown between Olympiacos and Barcelona is the last head-to-head game involving those three leading clubs, and the outcome in Piraeus will provide full clarity on potential two- and three-team tiebreakers among them. 

Realistically, these 18-win teams are likely to clinch playoff berths sooner or later. But as they battle for the best possible position in a season where nothing is a given, the tiebreak situation between them will become crucial to their mutual quests for all-important home-court advantage in the playoffs.

### Real's tough schedule, tiebreak disadvantage

This week, first-place Real hosts Cazoo Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz (14-12) on Tuesday and Valencia on Thursday. Real tops the standings entering Round 27 with the best win percentage thanks to having a game in hand, a road trip to Anadolu Efes Istanbul that was postponed by the earthquakes in Turkiye. 

Real's crowded schedule of four games over the next 10 days – including the make-up game at Efes next Tuesday, March 14 – is daunting, particularly after All-EuroLeague center Walter Tavares limped off the floor with an ankle injury at the end of the team's last EuroLeague game.

Real is on a five-game winning streak since edging Barcelona in overtime in Round 21. That, however, was Real's sole win this season against Olympiacos or Barcelona; Los Blancos have already lost the tiebreakers with both.

### Reds could seize the upper hand

Olympiacos, on the other hand, has yet to lose this season against the two Spanish powerhouses, and the Reds were the EuroLeague's hottest team before seeing their seven-game winning streak snapped last week in Milan. A victory over Barcelona on Tuesday would give Olympiacos favorable position in any multiple-team tiebreakers involving these three teams due to sweeps over both Real and Barcelona. 

FC Barcelona - Olympiacos Piraeus | Round 1 | Highlights

Olympiacos stays at home to host FC Bayern Munich (10-16) on Thursday, and should it win on both days, would be in a position to qualify for the playoffs depending on others as soon as Friday.

### Barcelona riding a hot streak

Barcelona, on its own five-victory run as it takes the floor in Piraeus, has its tiebreaker won against Real, but would need to beat Olympiacos by at least 10 points to win that tiebreaker, too.

These numbers matter in their battle for the top spot, but also in fending off a group of lurking challengers led by Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul (16-9), whom Barcelona will stay on the road to face on Friday, and AS Monaco (16-10). Both of those teams are also aiming to finish in the top four.

For instance, Monaco swept Olympiacos and split games with both Real in Barcelona, while Fenerbahce still plays Real as well as Barcelona with the chance to gain tiebreak advantages against both. With eight games left, either or both could make a leap and challenge the 18-win trio for home-court advantage in the playoffs. 

Every game matters has long been associated with the EuroLeague regular season, and going into the final stretch with these top three teams even in the victory column, but just five victories ahead of the 11th-place club, winning head-to-head tiebreakers might have never been this meaningful.

Playoff Picture: Top trio jockeying to be first

 Gig Datome & Kyle Hines 

[Gigi Datome](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/luigi-datome/ccd/) and [Kyle Hines](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/kyle-hines/002812/) are the two most experienced players on the roster of EA7 Emporio Armani Milan, yet their love for the game of basketball remains the same as when they first started playing. Aged 35 and 36, respectively, the two veterans sat down together to discuss their motivations and their journeys to this point.

"Keep on loving the game. I really love the game, to be up there and competing and building something important," says Datome.

"Really, I would tell myself, 'Hey, don't worry. Things are going to be okay somehow. You're going to struggle a lot of years, but somehow you're going end up happy.' But, it's tough. It's so difficult to suggest to any player a path to follow because we are so different. When I was a kid, if someone told me that you are going to be 35 in Milano after winning a title at the Final Four, cups and so on, and being national team captain, I would be… signing with blood. Again, as a player, maybe I remember a lot all of the finals lost and everything that I could have done more."

Hines agrees with his teammate's point and takes it further, stating that it is this mindset that has got them to this point in their careers.

"It's kind of strange how we remember the losses, or we are more impacted by the losses than we are by the wins sometimes," comments Hines. "It's kind of strange, but as you said, that's just kind of our nature and the nature of the business, I guess you could say. The nature of how we are and how we're wired."

For Datome, he believes that it is necessary to take a moment to stop and reflect on the situation that they are in as top-level basketball players.

"Sometimes it's tough, because you're hungry for a game or for a moment of the season, but if you take that moment to enjoy where you are, the teammates you have, the club you're working for, the organization… really, I feel lucky and lucky, and more lucky, every year," concludes Datome.

Gigi Datome and Kyle Hines are the two most experienced players on the roster of EA7 Emporio Armani Milan, yet their love for the game of basketball remains the same as when they first started playing. Aged 35 and 36, respectively, the two veterans sat down together to discuss their motivations and their journeys to this point.

 

Gigi Datome, Milan: 'Keep on loving the game'

Here comes another double-round week in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague! For most teams, it is an opportunity to get closer to clinching a playoffs spot. For managers of EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge powered by Ardu Prime, it is a double opportunity to get another prize, compete against tens of thousands of basketball fans around the world and – who knows? – get closer to first place in your favorite private league or in the overall standings. Here are some suggestions to consider for your three trades in Fantasy Challenge ahead of Round 27.

 Fantasy Challenge tips: Double-round opportunities! 

Here comes another double-round week in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague! For most teams, it is an opportunity to get closer to clinching a playoffs spot. For managers of [EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge powered by Ardu Prime](https://euroleaguefantasy.euroleaguebasketball.net/es/home), it is a double opportunity to get another prize, compete against tens of thousands of basketball fans around the world and – who knows? – get closer to first place in your favorite private league or in the overall standings. Here are some suggestions to consider for your three trades in Fantasy Challenge ahead of Round 27.

[Vincent Poirier, Real Madrid](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/vincent-poirier/004887/) (8.3 credits) – Walter Tavares sprained his left ankle in a Round 26 win at LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne last week. He already missed his team's weekend Spanish League game. If Tavares remains sidelined, Poirier becomes Los Blancos' only available pure center, and he would be playing against his former team, Cazoo Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz, on Tuesday. It should be a big night for him.

[Ignas Brazdeikis, Zalgiris Kaunas](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/ignas-brazdeikis/011983/) (9.3 credits) – In the last five games, Brazdeikis has been Zalgiris's most consistent scorer, replacing injured star Keenan Evans. Indeed, Brazdeikis has scored 15 or more points in each of those games, averaging 17.6 points on 60.0% three-point shooting and a PIR of 16.0. A solid choice.

Vincent Poirier, Ignas Brazdeikis, Paris Lee, Maodo Lo and Facundo Campazzo are featured in this week's article.

Fantasy tips: Regular Season Rounds 27-28

[Paris Lee, Panathinaikos Athens](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/paris-lee/011225/) (10.4 credits) – First, it is a special game for Lee, as he returns to Salle Gaston Medecin to face Monaco, his former team. He arrives to this game in a great moment, as Lee averaged 19.0 points, 5.0 assists and a PIR of 20.6 in Panathinaikos's last six games. Seeing him face Mike James should be fun. 

[Maodo Lo, ALBA Berlin](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/maodo-lo/007032/) (10.1 credits) – Lo has struggled with injuries for the entire season but seems to have finally found his rhythm lately. He got 24 points, 3 assists and 3 assists in his team's come-from-behind road win against Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade in Round 25, and followed that up with 17 points and a PIR of 18 against Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade. It's Lo's time! 

[Facu Campazzo, Crvena Zvezda](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/facundo-campazzo/005928/) (13.4 credits) – Campazzo played his first EuroLeague game with Zvezda and had a solid performance, getting 16 points, 7 assists and a PIR of 12. Campazzo is now set to play his first EuroLeague home game with his current team, and it should be special for him and Zvezda fans!

Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv v Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul (2023-03-08T17:30:00.000Z)

Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade v Anadolu Efes Istanbul (2023-03-08T19:30:00.000Z)

AS Monaco v Panathinaikos Athens (2023-03-08T20:00:00.000Z)

It is important for professional athletes to put their money to work and make wise investments that guarantee a better future. There are many investment options, and one of the newest choices is NFTs, which stands from non-fungible tokens. Non-fungible means that it cannot be exchanged, even for a copy of the same token. All of them are unique and each has a different value. 

Retin Obasohan, ASVEL: 'I love innovation'

It is important for professional athletes to put their money to work and make wise investments that guarantee a better future. There are many investment options, and one of the newest choices is NFTs, which stands from non-fungible tokens. Non-fungible means that it cannot be exchanged, even for a copy of the same token. All of them are unique and each has a different value. 

NFTs represented as pictures, video clips or digital wearables have become a popular way to invest, by identifying those whose value can grow. [Retin Obasohan](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/retin-obasohan/011938/) of LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne has recently started a NFT collection, making him an enthusiast about why virtual property is on the rise. 

"One of the greatest things I like about NFTs is the communities that they create."

"I love innovation. I love just seeing the way that -- especially in technology, but also across industries -- humans can be creative, innovate and create new technologies and more efficient ways to create experiences. And I kind of got involved with the blockchain a little over maybe the last six or seven years," Obasohan explained. "I started off just in crypto and got involved, started learning about the technology, different companies, different infrastructures and stuff like that. And then that just kind of spilled over to NFTs.

"I think one of the greatest things I like about NFTs is the communities that they create based on the functionality that they provide. And yes, it's been just interesting because I'm learning so much on the fly."

As Obasohan mentioned, there is more to NFTs than just buying and selling. Communities are online groups with limited membership, turning NFTs into much more than just a collector's item. 

"We have a lot of Discord conversations and stuff like that. It's interesting because you get to meet people from all walks of life, all types of industries, and sometimes you can even form meaningful relationships when you want to create something on your own," Obasohan said. "It's been really cool because you are coming in contact with people from all over the world, but you have something in common, usually your NFT, and that kind of creates a common ground for you to start a relationship and conversations."

As for its functionality, Obasohan could go on forever about how NFTs can be really important in the near future. 

"You can basically turn a plane ticket into an NFT in a way that is completely secured and you can't fake it. Season tickets, anything basically can be turned into an NFT, basically your house key, car key. So it's a way to provide authenticity and security on a level that we haven't been able to experience before," he says. "And that's just one side of it. So to me, it's so interesting how NFTs can span from a membership pass into an exclusive restaurant all the way to a way that I can transfer ownership of my apartment or house or car in a secure way without any intermediaries. To me, that's super interesting."

So far, Obasohan is not much into buying or selling NFTs, but collecting. He is approaching this new technology with a lot of care, and doesn't discard making his own NFTs in the future. 

"Father Time comes for everybody... one day you will have to transition out of playing."

"I own a couple of NFTs. I'd say my most precious one is I have a baby ape, a Baby Ape Social Club. It's a social community on the Solana blockchain. I have two, and it's one that's pretty rare, but that just gives me access to the community and different things that they hold: sometimes giveaways, sometimes even in-person events," Obasohan said. "I am starting off with collecting. I just want to get more familiar with the ecosystem, all the possibilities as well. I'm starting to learn and be exposed to all the possibilities that are that are out there, because one day I want to create my own \[NFT\] in a way that I feel like will provide the most value to the people that end up buying it."

Regardless the investment being more traditional or innovative, Obasohan believes it is important to generate income with the money you earn as a professional basketball player. You can only play basketball for a number of years, and it is a well-paid job that can generate a lot of wealth for any player and his family. 

Retin Obasohan is in his first Turkish AIrlines EuroLeague season with LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne.

2022-23 EuroLeague highlghts: Retin Obasohan. ASVEL

"We are extremely blessed to play this game in basketball, the one that we love. But at the same time, Father Time comes for everybody, so there's a day where you will have to transition out of playing into whatever that may be," Obasohan said. "But that doesn't mean that while you're playing, you shouldn't be maximizing your earning potential in a variety of ways.

"So I think especially as players that are fortunate to make good money or fortunate to play the game, it is in our best interest to make sure we are making wise decisions with our money, especially towards investments to help us secure a good future."

"We got one, we got two. Back to Turkey, that's what we do. Back-to-back, you know what I'm saying?" Anadolu Efes Istanbul guard Shane Larkin gleefully remarked after his team became Turkish Airlines EuroLeague champion for the second year in a row.

Back in the 2017-18 season, however, the idea of Efes becoming back-to-back champs would have seemed like a fairytale. Current head coach Ergin Ataman arrived midway during that campaign, and since then the charismatic tactician has been able to take the team to unseen heights, with Efes never having won a European title prior to 2021. Now, the Turkish team is the back-to-back EuroLeague champion.

In "Back 2 Back", the latest work from the Euroleague Basketball Originals documentary team, you are able to join reigning champion Efes on its journey to the 2022 EuroLeague Final Four in Belgrade, Serbia. You are given an inside look at just how Efes secured its second straight European title, with insights from star players such as Larkin and Vasilije Micic, as well Coach Ataman and other key contributors to a historic accomplishment.

Watch episode 2:

However, not all was easy sailing in the 2021-22 season, as Efes struggled in the early part of the campaign. When it looked as though the team's EuroLeague triumph the year before was not going to be repeated, Efes guard Rodrigue Beaubois could not understand what was happening: "We really thought that, at one point, we were able to turn the situation around. But it didn't happen quick at all. It's hard to explain."

Fast forward a few months and Efes had found a way not only to finish in sixth position in the standings but also to beat AX Armani Exchange Milan in the playoffs. The Efes players were feeling confident about themselves afterward, as they had booked their place to the Final Four once again. "It is just what we do now," stated guard Larkin. "That's who we are, that's who we've tried to become, and I think we've earned the right to kind of sit here and say, 'That's just what we do.'"

In its third Final Four appearance in a row, Efes was able to get past Olympiacos Piraeus in the semifinal to reach the championship game, but only after a game-winning buzzer-beating triple by Micic. For the eventual Final Four MVP, playing back in his home country of Serbia, that is a moment he will never forget: "I mean, to make that three-pointer, and in that moment, in Belgrade, it's the best moment so far."

Real Madrid, the 10-time winner of the EuroLeague, was awaiting Efes in Europe's showpiece fixture. There was plenty of star power on the court and on the sidelines in the form of Ataman and Real boss Pablo Laso. It was incredibly difficult to separate the teams on paper, and that remained the case right until the championship game's final moments.

However, before the game, Coach Ataman was convinced that his team would add to their first-ever EuroLeague title: "Play like a champion, because we were the last champion. And don't care about anybody. Play your game, play like a champion, and you will see that we will win again."

Coach Ataman's words rang true when the final buzzer sounded, as Efes beat Real 57-58 to become just the third team this century to win the title back-to-back, joining the Maccabi Elite Tel Aviv teams of 2003-04 and 2004-05 and those of Olympiacos in 2011-12 and 2012-13.

"This is history. This is back-to-back," Coach Ataman stated after Efes secured its second successive EuroLeague crown. Efes made history in 2021, and one year later it did so again.

Re-live Efes's "Back 2 Back" triumph in this [Euroleague Basketball Originals](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0VpqNWbjUNQ&list=PLXcjy-GNBj1yD8C_VHVemXw_yRtCHmmye) documentary. The Euroleague Basketball Originals documentary series captures the intimacy behind the EuroLeague spotlights and provides full access to the protagonists and the people who know them best.

Watch episode 1:

Kazys Maksvytis, Zalgiris: 'We're still fighting for the playoffs'

Round 27, Tuesday blog: Olympiacos, Baskonia, Zalgiris grab huge wins

Olympiacos sweeps Barca to put one foot in playoffs

Shaquielle McKissic, Olympiacos: 'I'm just relieved that it's over'

Playoff Picture: Top trio jockeying to be first

Gigi Datome, Milan: 'Keep on loving the game'

Fantasy Challenge tips: Double-round opportunities!

Retin Obasohan, ASVEL: 'I love innovation'

Euroleague Basketball Originals documentary: "Back 2 Back", episode 2