Real Madrid has rejoined Olympiacos Piraeus as co-leader in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague standings after grabbing an 83-68 win against Panathinaikos Athens at WiZink Center on Wednesday night. Following this victory, Real improved to a 15-7 record, whereas Panathinaikos dropped to 8-14.

 

Guerschon Yabusele paced Real with 16 points. He was joined in double figures by Mario Hezonja and Dzanan Musa, who had 14 and 12 points, respectively. Panathinaikos guard Paris Lee scored a game-high 17 points in the defeat. Marius Grigonis added 12 points and Dwayne Bacon finished with 11.

Game Videos

It was an electric start to the game for Real, who were clearly still in great spirits after beating FC Barcelona in *El Clásico* last week. Yabusele scored 4 points early on as Real opened a 7-0 lead inside the first 2:15. By the halfway point in the first quarter, *Los Blancos* had gone 15-2 ahead, with Yabusele having 8 points to his name. Panathinaikos began to show signs of life on offense, but on defense it couldn't stop Real, trailing 23-9 with 2:20 to go. By the end of the first quarter, there was a 12-point difference between the teams, 26-14.

 

After Lee had seen a three-pointer drop in the first 15 seconds of the second quarter, Georgios Papagiannis looked to give Panathinaikos a further boost by draining a triple to make it a single-digit deficit, 29-20, with 8:36 left to play before halftime. But, as was the case in the first 10 minutes of play, Panathinaikos was unable to stop Real from putting points on the board. *Los Blancos* extended its lead back to 12, 37-25, midway through the quarter, before 5 straight points by Rudy Fernandez made it a 17-point contest, 42-25. It got even worse for the Greens, as Musa went 2-for-2 from the line with 32 seconds remaining to put Real up by 21 points, 48-27. There was still time for one more score, but thankfully for the Greens, it came via a Grigonis triple, with the score 48-30 at halftime.

Game News

There was an initial response by Panathinaikos at the start of the third quarter, but halfway through, Real was back to leading by 21 points, 60-39. From there, though, the Greens cut the hosts' advantage down to 13, 60-47, thanks to 5 points in a row by Grigonis and a three-pointer by Bacon. However, Real responded by reopening a 19-point gap, 66-47, with 2:28 to go, as Yabusele scored 4 points and Hezonja added 2. While it appeared that frustration was beginning to set in for Panathinaikos's players, they kept fighting and managed to have a couple of highlight-reel plays from Bacon and Arturas Gudaitis. Entering the fourth, the Greens found themselves down by 11, 68-57.

 

The main issue for Panathinaikos in the final quarter of play is that it had seemed to use up all of its energy trying to come back in the third, with Real having outscored the visitors 4-2 inside the opening 3:27 of the fourth, 72-59. Soon after, Real was able to put the cherry on top of the cake with an alley-oop play between Sergio Llull and Hezonja, 76-61. Panathinaikos put some more points on the board late on, but Real stayed calm as it went on to record its 15th win of the season, having led for the entire 40 minutes.

Real Madrid routs Panathinaikos after fast start, 83-68

Real Madrid v Panathinaikos Athens (2023-02-01T19:45:00.000Z)

AS Monaco has made a name for itself with its offense but the team used its ability to force turnovers and punish opponents for them to race past ALBA Berlin.

Monaco’s defense created 20 ALBA turnovers and they resulted in 25 points in the team’s 84-102 win in the German capital. The 102 points set a new Monaco team record, surpassing the 101 points the team scored in Round 21 against EA7 Emporio Armani Milan.

Alpha Diallo, Mike James, Elie Okobo and Yakuba Ouattara each swiped 2 steals, and Monaco made sure to score easy baskets with Jordan Loyd and Donatas Motiejunas also getting fastbreak points.

Monaco has excelled all season at forcing turnovers - averaging the second-most opponent miscues, 14.1, coming into the game. But Sasa Obradovic’s men also once again remained composed with the ball, committing only 6 turnovers - 4.1 fewer than its league-fewest 10.1 average coming into the game. No Monaco player had more than 1 turnover in the game.

With offense intact, Monaco raced away off turnovers 

ALBA Berlin v AS Monaco (2023-02-01T19:00:00.000Z)

### AS Monaco head coach Sasa Obradovic:

"I am really happy to be here \[in Berlin\]. Coming back always gives me certain emotions. We had great focus, especially starting in the second quarter and we controlled it from that point until the end of the game. All the guys contributed and I am happy about how we played and this kind of win. This really makes me happy looking forward."

 

### ALBA Berlin head coach Israel Gonzalez:

"Congratulations to Monaco. They played better than us. They especially defended much better than us. They forced us into 20 turnovers. But my main worry is not about the turnovers. That can happen. But it’s about our one-on-one defense. We are not improving how we should be game by game. It’s true that the individual skills of Okobo, James or Loyd and a lot of other players on Monaco are very difficult. But I think to allow 30 two-point baskets - most of them layups or very close to the basket - is not our way, and we have to improve on this. If we want to be a good team at the end of the season this is one area we must improve dramatically. It’s happening in a lot of games that we give up a lot of layups we need to improve this.” 

### AS Monaco center Donatas Motiejunas:

"We played good defense and did not allow them play the way they wanted to play. We’re not really used to a lot of running, a lot of shooting threes. They don’t waste a lot of time and get a lot of opportunities, just pushing the ball and trying to score as early as possible. It was a good defensive performance to stop the things they wanted to do. It was an important win to get our confidence and move forward."

 

### AS Monaco guard Elie Okobo:

"This was good. It gives us confidence for the next games that we have. We did a great job overall as a team - defensively and offensively. We have to keep building on that. It was really good from everybody. Everybody was involved and gave their all."

Elie Okobo, Monaco: 'We did a great job as a team'

<incrowd-live-blog id="63da8fd607b8c64813666c8c" client-id="EUROLEAGUE" server="standard"></incrowd-live-blog><script src="https://live-blog.incrowdsports.com/index.js"></script>

<script>
(function (document) {
  setTimeout(() => {
    const script = document.createElement('script');
    script.async = true;
    script.defer = true;
    script.src = 'https://live-blog.incrowdsports.com/index.js';
    document.body.appendChild(script);
  }, 1000);
})(document);
</script>

Live Blog: Real stays pace atop the standings, Monaco and Efes also win

Anadolu Efes Istanbul v Zalgiris Kaunas (2023-02-01T17:30:00.000Z)

AS Monaco kept pace with the top teams in the league by racing past ALBA Berlin 84-102 to snap a four-game road losing streak. Monaco took control of the game with a 2-18 second-quarter run and never looked back in pulling to 14-8. 

Donatas Motiejunas paced Monaco with 22 points while Mike James collected 13 points, 4 rebounds, 6 assists and 2 steals, and Jordan Loyd, Elie Okobo and Yakuba Ouattara all added 12 points. ALBA lost its fourth straight game to fall to 6-16 in last place. Yanni Wetzell had 17 points for ALBA with Gabriele Procida adding 16 points.

Procida scored 7 quick points as ALBA went ahead 11-6. Motiejunas started just as hot with an inside-outside game for 9 points to even the game at 13-13. ALBA led 24-22 after 10 minutes.

The hosts were up 30-28 when Motiejunas and Ouattara combined for 11 points in a 2-18 run for Monaco to open a 32-46 lead. ALBA managed to get within 10 points but trailed 36-51 at halftime.

Procida scored the first 5 points of the second half to make it 41-51, but ALBA could not get defensive stops. Loyd converted 2 three-point plays and Alpha Diallo knocked down a triple in pushing the lead to 47-64. The cushion swelled to 22 points - 51-73 - and the visitors led 54-73 after 30 minutes.

Christ Koumadje picked up the first 4 points of the fourth quarter to trim the deficit to 58-73. But Monaco responded with a 4-11 surge for a 62-84 lead to end any doubts.

Monaco snaps road losing streak in Berlin 

Anadolu Efes Istanbul brought an end to its two-game losing streak on Wednesday evening by beating Zalgiris Kaunas 80-70 at Sinan Erdem Sports Hall. With this win, Efes improved to 11-11 and rose to ninth in the standings, just outside of the playoff places, while Zalgiris in seventh dropped to 12-10.

Will Clyburn was the star performer for Efes, finishing with 19 points and 7 rebounds. Bryant Dunston had 12 points, Vasilije Micic chipped in with 11, and Shane Larkin added 10. Zalgiris guard Ignas Brazdeikis scored a career-high 25 points in the losing effort. Edgaras Ulanovas contributed 15 for Zalgiris, too.

Perhaps taking advantage of Efes's disappointing results in recent weeks, Zalgiris got off to a hot start, opening a 0-4 lead. Kevarrius Hayes's fingerprints were all over the first four minutes, as he scored 4 points, had 1 big block on Amath M'Baye and then recorded a steal, with Zalgiris ahead 8-12. Next, it was the turn of Brazdeikis to come to the fore, as he took his tally to 8 points with 2:49 remaining after scoring a tough step-back two-pointer of Micic, 12-16. Efes scored 4 straight points to close the quarter, 16-16, but Zalgiris never trailed inside the opening 10 minutes.

 

However, the first points of the second quarter came from Clyburn, as Efes took its first lead of the game, 18-16. In particular, Larkin and Clyburn began to torment Zalgiris, as the hosts swelled its lead to 33-23 with 2:37 to go before halftime. Micic made it a 13-point game after hitting a three-pointer, 36-23, with just under 90 seconds left on the clock, before the teams went into the break with 10 points separating them, 38-28.

Efes got off to the perfect start after halftime, with Clyburn draining a triple to move to 14 points in the game, 41-28. Shortly after, Brazdeikis picked up where he left off in the first quarter, seeing back-to-back three-pointers fall to keep Zalgiris alive, 41-34. When Brazdeikis made it 41-36 with 7:21 remaining thanks to a step-back mid-range jumper over Larkin, he had tied his career high for points with 21. As the quarter progressed, Zalgiris trimmed the gap down to 3 points, 46-43, but a couple of free throws by Larkin and 5 straight points by Micic calmed things down from an Efes perspective, 53-43. Heading into the fourth, it was 55-49 thanks to Tomas Dimsa's made triple.

Rodrigue Beaubois helped Efes reestablish its 9-point advantage, 60-51, by scoring 5 straight points of his own in the early going. By the midway point in the fourth quarter, Brazdeikis moved up to 25 points after draining his fourth triple of the game, but Zalgiris found itself down by 11, 67-56. Efes looked in control entering the game's final minutes, with the hosts up 72-61 with 3:10 to go after Micic saw another three-pointer fall. But, Lukas Lekavicius scored 5 points in a row to cut the deficit to 6, 72-66. It reduced to 4, 72-68, as Dimsa scored a layup off an Ulanovas steal, and then 2, 72-70, after Arnas Butkevicius went 2-for-2 from the line, with 1:24 remaining. Just when Zalgiris thought its comeback was on the verge of being complete, Larkin scored a two-pointer to make it a 4-point game and then Clyburn stole the ball before taking it up the floor and dunking on Hayes, 76-70. On Zalgiris's following possession, Clyburn came up clutch once again, grabbing a crucial defensive rebound before carrying the ball up court and finding the open Beaubois, who scored a layup, 78-70. Beaubois added another layup in the final seconds to make sure of the result, 80-70, as Efes won for the first time since Round 19 and condemned Zalgiris to its second straight defeat.

Efes puts its foot on the gas to defeat Zalgiris, 80-70

With two-thirds of the regular season completed, Eurohoops presents the fifth edition of the EuroLeague Power Rankings.

Power Rankings in the middle of a double-action week? Why not, we ask you back! Despite three games left in Round 22, with 12 teams already completing their contests, there's a clear picture of what's going on with Olympiacos being really impressive. 

[MORE...](https://www.eurohoops.net/en/euroleague/1457434/euroleague-power-rankings-by-eurohoops-vol-5-5/)

EuroLeague Power Rankings by Eurohoops: Vol.5

Before the season began, if somebody had said that Zalgiris Kaunas would be in the playoffs and have a better record than Anadolu Efes Istanbul heading into Round 22, you may have thought that they were crazy. Efes had, after all, just become back-to-back champions in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague and added 2019 Final Four MVP Will Clyburn to its roster.

But, that is the current state of play, with Efes in 11th spot – outside of the playoffs – with a record of 10-11, whereas Zalgiris is sixth after going 12-9 through the first 21 games. Zalgiris has been able to lean on a particularly good home record, having won eight and lost two of its 10 fixtures at Zalgirio Arena, but its exciting brand of basketball under first-year head coach Kazys Maksvytis has been one of the best most pleasant surprises of the season.

Efes, meanwhile, finally has its Big Three of Clyburn, Vasilije Micic and Shane Larkin on the court together after the return of Larkin from injury in Round 16. Yet, in the games that the American guard has played, his team has gone 1-4. Last time out, Efes lost 114-111 in an overtime classic on the road at Cazoo Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz, but Larkin showed signs that he is getting back to his best by scoring a team-high 21 points.

Curiously, when Efes and Zalgiris last faced off in Round 12 in Kaunas, Ergin Ataman's team had one of its best performances of the season en route to a 60-86 victory. The teams were tied 33-33 at halftime, but Efes exploded in the second half, outscoring the hosts 27-53. Rodrigue Beaubois had 20 points, and Micic and Clyburn were not far behind with 19 and 17 points, respectively.

Coach Maksvytis was unhappy with his team's defensive effort in that game, although he did recognize the quality of Efes's players afterward: "Anadolu Efes happened. First of all, we had a terrible effort defensively: 27 points in the third quarter with only 1 team foul. So, we need to be hard workers. We don't have such talent as Efes. We need to start from defense."

Zalgiris Kaunas - Anadolu Efes Istanbul | Round 12 | Highlights

It is likely to be a similar message from the Zalgiris tactician heading into this Round 22 matchup, as his team is coming off a surprising 89-65 loss at Panathinaikos Athens. After all, Zalgiris had gone 6-2 between Round 13 and Round 20, and its two defeats were decided by no more than 4 points in that time, so its Round 21 loss against an out-of-sorts Panathinaikos caused many to raise their eyebrows.

Efes still hopes to complete the three-peat at Zalgiris's home, Zalgirio Arena, in May, but firstly, it must focus on securing a place in the top eight. Zalgiris, meanwhile, wants to keep upsetting the odds, despite losing star guard Keenan Evans to a season-ending injury in Round 17.

One player who will be extremely motivated on Wednesday night is new Zalgiris signing Achille Polonara, who made 15 appearances for Efes this season before being released after Round 17. He joined Zalgiris a few days later on January 7 and has since played in four games, averaging 4.2 points and 3.8 rebounds off the bench. Isaiah Taylor also made the same move one day before, switching Istanbul for Kaunas, but he is out with a hamstring injury and will therefore miss this clash.

The best plays of Anadolu Efes Istanbul and Zalgiris Kaunas from their Round 21 games against Cazoo Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz and Panathinaikos Athens, respectively.

Efes and Zalgiris's best plays in Round 21

There is a lot to get excited about ahead of Efes and Zalgiris's showdown, as both teams will be keen to get back on track with a victory. But, as is the nature of sports, only one team will be able to come out on top. Will Efes begin to show signs of its potential with a win, or will it suffer another defeat to further raise concerns? Alternatively, was Zalgiris's defeat in Athens last week just a blip, or is it a sign of cracks in the team's armor?

This Wednesday evening, you can find out! Efes is on a four-game winning streak against Zalgiris, but that could easily change tonight. Make sure to tune in from 18:30 CET to see the action from Sinan Erdem Sports Hall.

Efes, Zalgiris looking to get back on track in Round 22

[Shabazz Napier](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/shabazz-napier/011224/)’s Turkish Airlines EuroLeague debut was much-awaited and the veteran guard provided a calming influence - not to mention a strong contribution - in his first game for EA7 Emporio Armani Milan.

The 31-year-old Napier collected 10 points on 3-of-5 shooting and 4-of-4 free throws to go with 2 rebounds and 3 assists in nearly 19 minutes of [Milan’s surprising 89-83 win over Cazoo Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2022-23/ea7-emporio-armani-milan-cazoo-baskonia-vitoria-gasteiz/E2022/192/).

Napier has been on EuroLeague fans’ radars for some time now. He was originally supposed to debut with Zenit St Petersburg last season. But he was injured in the preseason and never ended up playing after Zenit was expelled from the league due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

It wasn’t clear how much Napier would be able to help against Baskonia, having only arrived in Milan Saturday night and only gone through one practice with the team.

Still, Napier displayed his years of experience - which include two NCAA college championships with the University of Connecticut and playing parts of seven seasons with six teams in the NBA from 2014 to 2020.

Highlights from Shabazz Napier's EuroLeague debut

Napier played tough defense on Baskonia guard [Darius Thompson](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/darius-thompson/011078/), who scored 10 points in the first quarter but ended with 19 points. Napier also showed calm in running the offense, dishing a nice feed to [Brandon Davies](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/brandon-davies/007870/) for a dunk. There was also a sign of miscommunication as Napier through away a ball with 93 seconds left - clearly due to a lack of time with his teammates. But Napier made 2 clutch free throws with 30 seconds left and finished the game with a jumper.

"He played a normal first half, but he was concerned with putting his teammates in rhythm and then in the end he also scored an important basket. He gave me the feeling of never being in trouble. He's got a lot of pedigree," Milan head coach Ettore Messina said of his new point guard.

"Now let's see how he goes on Thursday \[at home against Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade\]. He certainly allowed us to rotate the players a little better, to put everyone back in their position a little bit."

And he allowed Milan and its fans to dream that Napier's arrival and  Tuesday's win will prove to be a turning point in Milan's season.

Napier made key contributions for Milan in debut

EA7 Emporio Armani Milan v Cazoo Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz (2023-01-31T18:00:00.000Z)