Cazoo Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz needed overtime to beat Anadolu Efes Istanbul 114-111 at Buesa Arena in Round 21 on Friday night. Several club records were set and matched in this instant classic.

Both teams combined for 225 points, a new season high. Until Friday, the highest number of combined points in a Turkish Airlines EuroLeague game this season was 203, which came when Baskonia beat Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv 116-87 in Round 6. It is also the second-best combined scoring mark in EuroLeague history. Fortitudo Bologna and Panathinaikos combined for 232 points on January 14, 2004, with the Greens prevailing 114-118 behind 29 points from Jaka Lakovic.

Efes tied its all-time scoring record against Baskonia, too. It had previously scored 111 points against Baskonia at Buesa Arena on April 1, 2021. The outcome was much different back then, as Efes beat Baskonia 101-111, also in overtime.

Darius Thompson set a new Baskonia record by dishing 16 assists in this game. It is also a EuroLeague season high, as his teammate Pierria Henry had previously dished 13 assists against Virtus Segafredo Bologna in Round 15. Baskonia's previous record was also 13 assists, shared by Henry, Shane Larkin, Marcelinho Huertas and Elmer Bennett.

Thompson's 16 assists are tied for the eighth-best mark in EuroLeague history, and it is the highest total in a EuroLeague game since Facundo Campazzo, then of Real Madrid, tied the all-time record of 19 against ALBA Berlin on February 6, 2020.

The best plays of Cazoo Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz guard Darius Thompson in his 19-point, 16-assist performance against Anadolu Efes Istanbul.

Darius Thompson's best plays vs. Efes

Rokas Giedraitis had a surprising rebounding night that surely no one saw it coming. His previous career-best mark was 9 rebounds against Panathinaikos Athens earlier this season. Against Efes, Giedraitis pulled down twice as many rebounds as his previous best, grabbing 18. He is the third player to record 18 rebounds this season, after Youssoupha Fall and Walter Tavares. What's more, it is the second-best rebounding total in club history, as Victor Alexander pulled down 19 rebounds against Virtus Bologna in Game 1 of the 2001 EuroLeague Finals.

Baskonia matched a club record with 31 assists. It is the third time that Baskonia has reached his mark, having previously got that many against Khimki Moscow Region in 2019 and against Virtus earlier this season.

Matt Costello had a career-high 33 points to lead Cazoo Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz to a 114-111 overtime home win against Anadolu Efes Istanbul.

Matt Costello takes over against Efes in Round 21

Matt Costello had 33 points against Efes, a new career high. With that number, he tied the best scoring night of a Baskonia player this season, as Marcus Howard previously had 33 points against Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade. He was a bit behind the best scoring night in the EuroLeague this season, though, as Lorenzo Brown of Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv got 36 points against FC Bayern Munich. As for Baskonia's all-time record, Arvydas Macijauskas scored 40 points against LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne on December 17, 2003.

Not only did Baskonia's fans enjoy a memorable win against the reigning back-to-back champs, but it was a night that will remain in the history books for a long time.

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A record-breaking night at Buesa Arena

Cazoo Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz v Anadolu Efes Istanbul (2023-01-27T19:30:00.000Z)

In an unforgettable game at Buesa Arena, Cazoo Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz edged Anadolu Efes Istanbul 114-111 in overtime to improve to 12-9 in the standings. The hosts relied on an unlikely hero down the stretch, as Matt Costello came up clutch in the closing stages.

Costello finished the game with a new career high of 33 points, burying 6-of-8 two-pointers, 5-of-8 three-pointers and 6-of-7 free throws. He added 5 rebounds, an assist, a steal, a block and 4 fouls drawn for a personal-best PIR of 33. His previous highs in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague were 23 points and a PIR of 28 against FC Bayern Munich and LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne, respectively, last season.

"We were not successful to stop their pick-and-pop possessions to Matt Costello," Efes head coach Ergin Ataman admitted after the game. "He did an excellent job tonight. He was the star of the game."

Costello takes over against Efes in Round 21

Costello played a critical role in Baskonia's win, stepping up in overtime to put his team ahead for good. Shane Larkin buried a three-pointer that gave Efes a 108-111 lead with 1:18 remaining, but Costello was the only player to score after that. He stepped up with a putback layup, then went 4-of-4 from the free-throw line in the last 22.4 seconds for a 114-11 score. Darius Thompson blocked Tibor Pleiss's three-point shot at the buzzer, but Baskonia would not have won without Costello's late heroics.

"The ball was going in the hole and my teammates were finding me, so it worked out. It felt good to get some things going," Costello said after the game. "I have been playing bad for the last couple of weeks, so \[it was good\] to have a good game like this, especially against Efes."

Matt Costello's career night against Efes 

Roman Sorkin took his game to new heights on Friday night, but a career night was not enough for the Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv big man to end up on the winning side, as his side lost 95-89 at Olympiacos Piraeus.

Sorkin came into the game averaging 6.2 points and 3.2 rebounds per contest, and the 26-year-old was already at his scoring average in the first half with 6 points. Then, he exploded in the third quarter and nearly helped Maccabi reverse a 17-point deficit, finishing with 23 points and 9 rebounds.

The best plays of Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv forward Roman Sorkin in his career-best performance against Olympiacos Piraeus.

Roman Sorkin's best plays vs. Olympiacos

Sorkin scored four baskets in the first three minutes of the third quarter, twice finishing after offensive rebounds, including one three-point play. The power forward added another score after 2 offensive rebounds, and yet another basket gave him 13 points in the first five minutes of the third quarter alone.

Maccabi could not get the defensive stops it needed, but Sorkin kept his team afloat with two more scores in the third quarter to increase his personal total to 17 points and 8 rebounds in the period.

He ended the game with a career-high 23 points, while he tied his personal best with 9 rebounds and set a new career mark with a PIR of 33.

All of that production came in just 20:19 minutes. Unfortunately for Maccabi, Roman Sorkin's superhero efforts were not enough for the team to grab the victory.

Roman Sorkin’s Superman impression not enough for Maccabi

Olympiacos Piraeus v Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv (2023-01-27T19:00:00.000Z)

Bayern Munich ground out a 91-84 home win over Virtus Segafredo Bologna on Friday night, largely thanks to a dominant performance in the paint at both ends of the court. By the time the final buzzer sounded, the German side had racked up 37 rebounds, of which 16 had come on the offensive end.

Virtus managed 28 boards, including 10 offensive rebounds, but it failed to protect its rim at key moments and allowed the hosts to build their lead brick by brick.

Virtus got the better of its opponent from three-point range (8-of-27, Bayern 5-of-21), but in the end, it didn’t matter as three of those shots beyond the arc came in the closing stages when Bayern was able to run the clock down.

Crucially, Bayern benefited from a balanced workload as 11 of its 12 players got on the scoresheet, with Augustine Rubit and Cassius Winston leading the way on 18 and 15 points, respectively. On the defensive end, Freddie Gillespie racked up 9 rebounds and garnished his effort with a spectacular block on Semi Ojeleye, which epitomized Bayern’s fighting spirit.

Bayern’s head coach, Andrea Trinchieri, was full of praise for his men, although he rued losing Elias Harris to what looks like a long-term foot injury.

“I am very happy with my players for the performance but I cannot be happy because I lost a player. \[Elias\] was playing great and it’s a bitter feeling, so I just hope he can come back as soon as possible and I wish him a speedy recovery,” the Italian said during his post-game press conference. “I am very happy for the way we won this important game and we go again into the depth of the sea.”

Teodosic enjoyed a rare milestone as he joined the 3,000-point club in Europe’s premier club competition, but he had little to cheer about in the end as Virtus failed to shore up the defensive leaks.

Despite the 16 team assists to Bayern’s 9, Virtus looked porous in the paint as the home side nailed 27-of-44 shots from inside the arc and had 8 steals thanks to rugged defending when the chips were down.

Virtus head coach Sergio Scariolo amplified that factor as he acknowledged that a poor defensive performance cancelled out his team’s relatively sound offense:

“I think our offense was quite OK, but we had too many mistakes in defense. Especially too many positions where we were effective offensively but weak defensively, so it was back and forth. Of course rebounds made a difference, the rebounds were on their side basically throughout the game. Not only rebounds on the rim but also the long rebounds. Forwards and guards were there for the second and third effort. We had to be better to win a road game against a very good team who are in great shape.”

Physical Bayern outmuscled Virtus in the paint

FC Bayern Munich v Virtus Segafredo Bologna (2023-01-27T19:45:00.000Z)

On Friday night, Thomas Walkup showed another side to his game as he set a career high for assists after filling in for the injured Kostas Sloukas in Olympiacos Piraeus’s hard-fought 95-89 win over Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv.

 

Sloukas left the game with a back injury with three minutes left in the second quarter, and the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague’s assist leader did not return. It was no problem for the Reds, though, as Walkup ended up scoring 9 points and dishing 12 assists. The American's previous best assist mark was 11, which came in a game for Zalgiris Kaunas against Zenit St Petersburg on March 5, 2020.

 

Walkup poured in a season-high 18 points against Real Madrid last week, but he scored an efficient 9 points against Maccabi, hitting 3-of-4 from the field and making both of his free throws. Sloukas finished with 3 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists in 9:20 minutes of action.

Thomas Walkup filled in superbly for the injured Kostas Sloukas 

The second-ever edition of the Belgrade derby in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague was decided by a fine margin of a single point, as Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade edged Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade 78-79. 

In a game that Partizan led from the midway point of the first quarter all the way to the end, but never by more than eight points, it was the difference in steals and turnovers that tilted the game in the visitors' favor.

"We had a big plus in that segment," stated Partizan head coach Zeljko Obradovic, and his Zvezda counterpart Dusko Ivanovic agreed: "A big difference in steals and turnovers on both sides is where the margin was made."

Partizan, who entered the game averaging a league-low 5.8 steals, had 8 in the first half alone. Partizan also forced 10 turnovers in the first 20 minutes to set the tone for the rest of the game. When all was said and done, Partizan had 12 steals and had forced 16 turnovers.

Four Partizan players had a pair of steals: Zach LeDay, Danilo Andjusic, Mathias Lessort and Uros Trifunovic. In the final minute of the contest, Trifunovic stole the ball from Nemanja Nedovic in a momentum-swinging play.

On the other side, 10 different Zvezda players had at least 1 turnover. Meanwhile, Partizan turned the ball over just 7 times, and Zvezda managed to record just 3 steals.

"When you see it, it is unbelievable this was the final score," said Obradovic, showing his surprise that his team only won by a single point, despite such an advantage with steals and turnovers.

Partizan won the Belgrade derby with steals and turnovers

Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade v Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade (2023-01-27T18:00:00.000Z)

Bayern Munich boosted its hopes of reaching the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Playoffs after a rock-solid all-round performance helped it to a 91-84 home win over Virtus Segafredo Bologna. However, the German side’s victory was marred by what looks like a serious leg injury to Elias Harris. Both teams are now on a 9-12 record as the battle to squeeze into the Top 8 intensifies.

Augustine Rubit paced the home side with 18 points, while Cassius Winston added 15 and Nick Weiler-Babb chipped in with 10 to underline a wonderful team effort, with 11 of Bayern’s 12 players getting on the scoresheet. At the other end, Milos Teodosic stood out for Virtus with 14 points and 9 assists, having surpassed the milestone of 3,000 points in the EuroLeague. Isia Cordinier also had 14 points and Daniel Hackett, who also limped off injured in the third quarter but returned to action early in the fourth, scored 12 for the visitors.

Bayern led throughout a rugged contest and never looked back after carving out an early 15-7 lead, as Winston pulled the strings in the opening exchanges. Yet, the home side lost Harris late in the first quarter after he collided with an opponent in the paint, as they both fell to the ground. He had to be helped off the court by teammates and staff.

The hosts then lost some of their momentum as Virtus slashed the deficit to 22-18 at the end of the first quarter, but quickly regained its composure with Rubit stepping up to give the hosts a 41-30 lead shortly before halftime, when he nailed a pair of tough mid-range shots. Driven by Teodosic, who dished out assists like presents after he came off the bench, Virtus stayed in touch and was able to reduce the arrears to 43-38 at halftime.

The visitors were breathing down Bayern’s necks when they were only 48-45 down, although they suffered an injury scare in the third quarter when Hackett limped off after he landed awkwardly in the opposition’s paint. Bayern took full advantage as it moved up a gear and led 66-55 at the end of the third quarter, before Hackett bounced back early in the fourth having shrugged off the pain.

Virtus battled hard to get back into the game, but the writing was on the wall for the visitors when Bayern engineered a 14-point lead, 76-62, its biggest of the night. Three-pointers by Hackett and Teodosic ignited some faint hopes for Virtus that it could stage what would have amounted to a spectacular comeback, but the Italian outfit ran out of time as Bayern held on for an important win.

Resilient Bayern holds off Virtus for 91-84 win

In an instant classic that went to overtime, Cazoo Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz returned to winning ways in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season by downing Anadolu Efes Istanbul 114-111 at Buesa Arena on Friday night. Baskonia improved to 12-9 in the standings with the win, breaking a four-game losing streak, while Efes dropped to 10-11. Baskonia's 114 points matches its best scoring mark in the EuroLeague; it previously reached 114 points against Ostend back in 2002.

Matt Costello led the winners with a career-high 33 points. Darius Thompson added 19 and 16 assists, a new club record and the best mark in the EuroLeague this season. Markus Howard had 16 points and Steven Enoch contributed 14, while Rokas Giedraitis pulled down a personal-best 18 rebounds for Baskonia. Shane Larkin led Efes with 21 points. Vasilije Micic and Rodrigue Beaubois each added 19, Will Clyburn had 16, while Ante Zizic and Bryant Dunston got 11 apiece for the guests.

Costello and Enoch stepped up early, allowing Baskonia to get a 13-7 lead. Clyburn and Beaubois each struck from downtown, helping Efes tie it at 15-15. Costello, Thompson and Vanja Marinkovic joined the three-point shootout, but Larkin and Clyburn made Efes get its first lead, 25-26, late in the first quarter. Thompson and Marinkovic restored a 37-32 Baskonia lead in the second quarter. Efes found a new go-to guy in Zizic, who had 7 points in two minutes. Beaubois struck twice from beyond the arc and added a floater for a 48-51 Efes lead at halftime.

Larkin hit a couple of three-pointers to make it a double-digit game, 50-60, soon after the break. Howard and Costello rescued Baskonia, then Enoch buried a three-pointer to bring Baskonia as close as 65-67. Micic followed a layup with a triple, and Beaubois fired in one from beyond the arc for a 70-77 Efes lead after 30 minutes. Micic boosted the guests' lead to 80-89. Costello and Howard fueled Baskonia's comeback, and Marinkovic hit a triple to tie it at 93-93 in the penultimate minute of play. Micic and Larkin combined for 5-of-5 free throws, but Howard scored inside and Daulton Hommes hit a triple to take the game to overtime, 98-98.

Howard completed Baskonia's comeback with a three-pointer, 106-104, with under three minutes left. Clyburn and Larkin each struck from downtown for a 108-111 Efes lead with 1:19 remaining. Efes went scoreless in crunch time, while Costello made the difference with a dunk and going 4-of-4 on his free throws. It all came down to the final shot, but Thompson's blocked Pleiss's three-point attempt at the buzzer.

Baskonia outguns Efes in OT, 114-111

Olympiacos Piraeus is co-leader in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague standings for a second week in a row after grabbing a hard-fought 95-89 home victory over Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv. Olympiacos watched its 17-point lead fall to four points before holding off Maccabi to improve to a 14-7 record, while the visitors dropped to 2-9 away from Tel Aviv and 11-10 overall.

 

Sasha Vezenkov paced the Reds with 23 points. Shaquielle McKissic added 13 points, while Thomas Walkup finished with 9 points and a career-best 12 assists. Roman Sorkin was unstoppable for Maccabi with 23 points and 9 rebounds in the loss. Wade Baldwin picked up 14 points and 8 assists, and Bonzie Colson had a 13-point, 11-rebound double-double.

The Reds saw early three-pointers drop from Vezenkov and Kostas Papanikolaou to lead 8-7. Maccabi answered twice from deep and held the number one offense scoreless for more than three minutes in a 0-11 run to take an 8-18 lead. Vezenkov tallied 7 points at the other end to help Olympiacos move back ahead, 24-23. The score was 24-25 after 10 minutes. McKissic came off the Olympiacos bench to spark a 9-0 surge and give the hosts a 33-27 advantage. Olympiacos tasted blood and kept attacking with Vezenkov and McKissic, extending the gap to 17 points, 51-34. The score At the break, Olympiacos had a 15-point edge, 51-36.

 

Sorkin came out of the locker room on fire and scored 13 points in the first five minutes of the second half, but Maccabi still was down 64-55. Sorkin and Maccabi kept pushing and got within 71-64 after 30 minutes. The guests refused to give up and managed to cut the deficit to 73-69 with seven minutes to play. Olympiacos answered with eight straight points over a more-than-three-minute stretch to reestablish a 10-point advantage. Giannoulis Larentzakis, Alec Peters and Walkup all hit three-pointers down the stretch as Olympiacos staved off Maccabi's comeback attempt.