Zalgiris's Isaiah Taylor suffers hamstring injury

Zalgiris Kaunas will be without [Isaiah Taylor](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/isaiah-taylor/012068/) for the next few weeks after the guard suffered a hamstring injury during a Lithuanian League game over the weekend. Taylor (1.91 meters, 28 years old) [joined the team only a few weeks ago](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/zalgiris-adds-isaiah-taylor-following-keenan-evans-injury/) from Anadolu Efes Istanbul to fill in for the injured Keenan Evans, who [will miss the rest of the season](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/zalgiris-evans-suffers-torn-achilles/) with a torn Achilles tendon. In his three appearances with Zalgiris, all of them off the bench, Taylor averaged 4.7 points and 1.3 assists in almost 14 minutes on the court. Zalgiris has not lost since Taylor joined the team.

**A STAR VISIT**: One of world's best tennis players, Matteo Berrettini, cheered for Milan against ASVEL, and got a little behind-the-scenes tour, chatting with Coach Messina.

<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="it" dir="ltr">SPECIAL GUEST⭐<br>Un ospite davvero unico: Matteo Berrettini!🎾<br>Finalista a <a href="https://twitter.com/Wimbledon?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Wimbledon</a>, semifinalista in Australia e a Flushing Meadows, vincitore di 7 titoli dell’<a href="https://twitter.com/atptour?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@atptour</a>!<br>Nel dopo partita l’incontro e la stretta di mano con Coach Ettore Messina!🤝 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/insieme?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#insieme</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Berrettini?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Berrettini</a> <a href="https://t.co/IDyz5vVO1K">pic.twitter.com/IDyz5vVO1K</a></p>&mdash; Olimpia Milano (@OlimpiaMI1936) <a href="https://twitter.com/OlimpiaMI1936/status/1616770837826228228?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 21, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

**FRIENDS & RE-UNIONS**: It is always fun to see former teammates catching up before going against one another. And Coach Itoudis shared a moment with Mike James.

<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="lv" dir="ltr">🇱🇹 𝘙𝘰𝘬𝘢𝘴 &amp; 𝘛𝘢𝘥𝘢𝘴 <a href="https://t.co/ZdNCReawpd">pic.twitter.com/ZdNCReawpd</a></p>&mdash; Barça Basket (@FCBbasket) <a href="https://twitter.com/FCBbasket/status/1616151128164507649?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 19, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Just catching up with old friends in Vitoria🤝 <a href="https://t.co/WPjUmRFG7o">pic.twitter.com/WPjUmRFG7o</a></p>&mdash; Turkish Airlines EuroLeague (@EuroLeague) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague/status/1616147426833727501?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 19, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CnmhEF3IoMh/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CnmhEF3IoMh/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank"> <div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div></div></div><div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;"><svg width="50px" height="50px" viewBox="0 0 60 60" version="1.1" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g stroke="none" stroke-width="1" fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd"><g transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)" fill="#000000"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path></g></g></g></svg></div><div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style=" color:#3897f0; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;">View this post on Instagram</div></div><div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"><div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"></div></div><div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)"></div></div><div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style=" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"></div></div></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"></div></div></a><p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CnmhEF3IoMh/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank">A post shared by AS Monaco Basket 🏀🇲🇨 (@asmonaco_basket)</a></p></div></blockquote>
<script async src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Former teammates, former coaches – just an all-around ⭐️ reunion in Istanbul 🧠 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EuroLeague?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EuroLeague</a> <a href="https://t.co/xhdY5ECLXC">pic.twitter.com/xhdY5ECLXC</a></p>&mdash; AS Monaco Basket EN 🏀 (@ASMBasket_EN) <a href="https://twitter.com/ASMBasket_EN/status/1616335123053514754?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 20, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>


**MILESTONE MAN**: James became only the 10th player to reach 1,000 assists for his career. Only one player – Vassilis Spanoulis – has scored more points than James among players with at least 1,000 assists.

<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Not only a prolific scorer, but an exceptional playmaker ⭐️ <br><br>It’s 1️⃣0️⃣0️⃣0️⃣ assists in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EuroLeague?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EuroLeague</a> for Mike James ✊ <a href="https://t.co/Q8hKT0ZtnH">pic.twitter.com/Q8hKT0ZtnH</a></p>&mdash; AS Monaco Basket EN 🏀 (@ASMBasket_EN) <a href="https://twitter.com/ASMBasket_EN/status/1616147050222985216?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 19, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">🇺🇸 Mike James of 🇲🇨 Monaco, reached 1,000 career assists dished in the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EuroLeague?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EuroLeague</a>.<br><br>It took him 225 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EuroLeague?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EuroLeague</a> games for to reach 1,000 career assists dished. He is 7th youngest player to do so and 6th in number of games taken. He is ranked 10th in assists made all-time.</p>&mdash; Darius Garuolis (@DariusGaruolis) <a href="https://twitter.com/DariusGaruolis/status/1616176168406859776?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 19, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>


**CHEERLEADING**: Iftah Ziv led Maccabi fans cheering after the win over ALBA.

<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="tr" dir="ltr">Yiftach 🤝 <a href="https://twitter.com/TheGateMTA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TheGateMTA</a> <a href="https://t.co/FFON3rLv2u">pic.twitter.com/FFON3rLv2u</a></p>&mdash; Maccabi Tel Aviv BC (@MaccabitlvBC) <a href="https://twitter.com/MaccabitlvBC/status/1616200515410436097?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 19, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> 

**WINNERS' CORNER**: There is a four-team tie for the best record in the standings after 20 rounds. And only teams with a winning record are currently in the playoff zone. 

EuroLeague week on social media 

Kostas Antetokounmpo of Fenerbahce dunks against Monaco

Wade Baldwin of Maccabi keeps the ball away from ALBA's Jaleen Smith 

Nikola Mirotic of Barcelona collides with Baskonia's Markus Howard

Bayern's Othello Hunter and Bryant Dunston of Efes vie for the ball

Georgios Papagiannis of Panathinaikos dunks in front of Virtus's Semi Ojeleye

Kyle Alexander of Valencia goes in the air to defend against Partizan's Danilo Andjusic

Nemanja Nedovic of Zvezda passes the ball against Zalgiris

Real Madrid's Walter Tavares dunks against Olympiacos Piraeus 

Milan's Brandon Davies emotes after dunking against ASVEL

Tibor Pleiss of Efes and Bayer's Freddie Gillespie battle for the rebound 

Look back at all the action from Round 20 of the regular season by checking out the best photos of the week!

The Top 10 photos of the week, Round 20

### Fener starters did the heavy lifting

In a thrilling come-from-behind [98-94](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2022-23/fenerbahce-beko-istanbul-as-monaco/E2022/172/) overtime win against AS Monaco, Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul's starters did most of the damage. Each of them played more than 30 minutes, and all but one scored in double figures. The 74 points from Fenerbahce's starting five is tied for the second-most in any EuroLeague game this season. [Scottie Wilbekin](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/scottie-wilbekin/006661/) led the way with 21 points and 5 assists, the most of each since his return from injury. He also had a plus/minus of +17, while [Johnathan Motley](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/johnathan-motley/011157/) was even better with +19. Quite impressive in just a four-point victory.

Scottie Wilbekin and Johnathan Motley highlights vs. AS Monaco

Wilbekin and Motley did the heavy lifting

### Ouattara captained Monaco's comebacks

Monaco was behind 27-22 to host Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul on Thursday when [Yakuba Ouattara](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/yakuba-ouattara/004197/) caught fire with 3 perfect three-pointers within 4 minutes in the middle of a 3-21 run that saw his team suddenly lead 30-43. He would proceed to finish with a career-high 19 points, including 5 triples made, as Monaco lost in overtime [98-94](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2022-23/fenerbahce-beko-istanbul-as-monaco/E2022/172/). Outtara will be counting the days 'til he returns to Ulker Sports and Event Hall. His previous EuroLeague scoring high of 16 points had come there, too, last season.

All of Yakuba Ouattara's 19 points in AS Monaco's 98-94 overtime defeat at Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul.

Yakuba Ouattara's 19 points vs. Fenerbahce

### Nebo skies for rebounding career-high

Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv protected its home court against ALBA Berlin with an [87-74](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2022-23/maccabi-playtika-tel-aviv-alba-berlin/E2022/173/) win over ALBA Berlin thanks in part to a big contribution on the glass from big man [Josh Nebo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/josh-nebo/011199/). Maccabi's center attempted just 2 field goals, making one put-back dunk for the night, but pulled down a career-best 13 rebounds, including 4 on the offensive glass. In a game it won by 13 points, Maccabi was outrebounded by ALBA by a single rebound, and Nebo was the one who kept the balance on the boards and allowed the hosts to never lose control of the game.

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="et" dir="ltr">🇺🇸 Josh Nebo of 🇮🇱 Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv in the 2022-23 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EuroLeague?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EuroLeague</a>:<br><br>🔹First 13 games: 4.2 REB<br>🔹Last 7 games: 9.1 REB 🔥</p>&mdash; Darius Garuolis (@DariusGaruolis) <a href="https://twitter.com/DariusGaruolis/status/1616186236862865408?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 19, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> 

### Sedekerskis stepped up for Baskonia

Cazoo Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz may have lost [78-85](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2022-23/cazoo-baskonia-vitoria-gasteiz-fc-barcelona/E2022/174/) to FC Barcelona, but [Tadas Sedekerskis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/tadas-sedekerskis/007230/) had a night to remember. In addition to posting a career-high PIR of 23, the 25-year-old scored a career-high 16 points. Sedekerskis helped Baskonia remain calm in the first quarter after a fast start by Barca, as he scored 8 of his team's first 14 points to keep his team afloat, 14-17. That was followed up with 2 points in the second quarter, before he added 6 in the third to ensure Baskonia went into the final period down by just one point, 63-64. While Sedekerskis failed to add to his tally in the game's final 10 minutes, his performance ensured that Baskonia had a chance to go and win on an off night for star scorer Markus Howard.

All of Tadas Sedekerskis's field goals in Cazoo Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz's 78-85 loss against FC Barcelona.

Tadas Sedekerskis's field goals vs. Barcelona

### Valencia's Webb wowed from long range

Valencia Basket protected its home floor on Thursday night by knocking down 12 triples on 25 attempts in an [89-81](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2022-23/valencia-basket-partizan-mozzart-bet-belgrade/E2022/176/) win over Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade. No player was a bigger downtown threat than [James Webb](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/james-webb-iii/011971/). Valencia's starting forward finished with 17 points on a personal-best 4-for-5 shooting from long range. Webb was also ready when his team needed him most. When Partizan closed with just 3 points in the fourth quarter, he replied with a three-point play, then followed it up with his fourth triple, paving the way for a Valencia win.

James Webb went 4-of-5 from three-point range in Valencia Basket's 89-81 win against Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade.

James Webb's three-point joy vs. Partizan

### Shengelia tied his career assists mark

[Tornike Shengelia](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/tornike-shengelia/001133/) was very much back to his old self in Virtus Segafredo Bologna's [74-64](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2022-23/virtus-segafredo-bologna-panathinaikos-athens/E2022/175/) home win over Panathinaikos Athens. A longtime EuroLeague star, the power forward played in just two of the first 11 rounds due to injuries. But on Thursday, he had his best EuroLeague performance in more than a year, scoring a season-high 16 points and tying his personal best with 7 assists. Shengelia also had 3 steals, 2 rebounds and a block, adding to his all-round performance.

The best plays of Tornike Shengelia during Virtus Segafredo Bologna's 74-64 win against Panathinaikos Athens.

Tornike Shengelia's best plays vs. Panathinaikos

Round 20 roll call

Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul v AS Monaco (2023-01-19T17:45:00.000Z)

Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv v ALBA Berlin (2023-01-19T19:05:00.000Z)

Cazoo Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz v FC Barcelona (2023-01-19T19:30:00.000Z)

Virtus Segafredo Bologna v Panathinaikos Athens (2023-01-19T19:30:00.000Z)

Valencia Basket v Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade (2023-01-19T19:45:00.000Z)

So far this season, Olympiacos Piraeus has largely launched its challenge for the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague title through the league’s most potent offense, surpassing 80 points on 15 occasions and topping the league in points, assists, two-point shooting accuracy and Performance Index Rating.

But in Friday’s Round 20 showdown against Real Madrid at a sold-out Peace and Friendship Stadium, Georgios Bartzokas’s players thrilled their fans by winning 73-60 to create a four-way tie at the top of the standings. Perhaps one of the things that will have pleased Coach Bartzokas most is the way that his team earned the win the old-school way: through hard-fought defense.

Olympiacos Piraeus - Real Madrid | Round 20 | Highlights

Right from the opening tipoff, the Reds swarmed all over *Los Blancos*, as the visiting team were never able to find their offensive rhythm and failed to score 20 points in any of the four quarters. The more the game progressed, the more Real struggled to find gaps in the Olympiacos defense. Chus Mateo’s team consequently found itself increasingly left in an uncomfortable position of having to force possessions and take on unpromising shots at the basket.

The Spanish side particularly suffered from long range, converting only 3 of its 25 three-point attempts, with Rudy Fernandez and Sergio Llull missing 5 and 6 apiece. And very few of those three-point misses were open looks. Rather, many of them were desperation attempts when no other options were available. Only Walter Tavares was able to register decent shooting percentages, scoring 12 points on 6-of-8 two-point shooting, but 8 of those points came in the first quarter. After that, even Tavares was left powerless in the face of determined defense from first Moustapha Fall and then Tarik Black.

The outcome was an end to Real’s three-game winning streak, and by far the lowest points tally of the season for a team which came into the game ranking second in scoring, only behind Olympiacos itself. Its previous low was a 68-point night in a 64-68 win over FC Bayern Munich.

The best plays of Olympiacos Piraeus in its 73-60 win against Real Madrid.

Olympiacos's best plays vs. Real Madrid

At the end of the action, a triumphant Bartzokas was very clear about exactly why his team had prevailed, explaining: “The key of the game was that we allowed only 60 points to such a talented offensive team; not even 20 points in any quarter. We were really solid defensively. Everybody did his job, we didn’t give anything easy to them, and we managed to win the game against a team that is a very strong competitor for the league.

“Everyone understands that it was a crucial game. I have to say that the team, the players, in this challenge they had in front of them, were ready to play. Through our defense, we controlled the pace of the game.”

This approach is true to the long-held traditions of Olympiacos, which has always prided itself on hard-nosed defense and gained back-to-back titles in 2012 and 2013 – the latter of those coming under the leadership of Bartzokas – by doing exactly that. And although the new era of Olympiacos – following the retirement of club greats Vassilis Spanoulis and Georgios Printezis – has shown a rather different, offensive-minded face, Friday’s win over Real showed that when it really matters, the Reds can still get back to basics and grind it out with the best of them.

Olympiacos went old school to down Real Madrid

Olympiacos Piraeus v Real Madrid (2023-01-20T19:00:00.000Z)

Round 20 MVP, Wade Baldwin of Maccabi Playtika Tel led all scorers in Round 20 with 33 points. Panathinaikos Athens guard Dwayne Bacon is the EuroLeague's top scorer at 20.3 points per game.

Maccabi center Josh Nebo grabbed the most rebounds in Round 20 with 13 against ALBA, tying his season-high effort, which also came against ALBA in Round 15. Mathias Lessort of Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade is the competition's best rebounder at 7.4 per night.

Nick Calathes of Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul and Cassius Winston of FC Bayern Munich each dished 8 assists. Kostas Sloukas of Olympiacos Piraeus ranks first overall at 6.7 assists per game.

Luca Vildoza of Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade had the most steals in Round 20 with 5 against Zalgiris Kaunas, which matches his career high. Thomas Walkup of Olympiacos leads the steals standings at 2.1 per game.

Achille Polonara of Zalgiris recorded 3 blocks in Round 20. Walter Tavares of Real Madrid is the runaway leader for blocks with 2.8 per game. 

There were no players who recorded a double-double in Round 20.

Round 20 individual highs: Luca Vildoza, Crvena Zvezda, 5 steals

After having a career-best performance in a winning effort during Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv's 87-74 victory against ALBA Berlin, Wade Baldwin has earned MVP of the Round honors for the fourth time in his 108-game Turkish Airlines EuroLeague career. Baldwin finished with a career-high PIR of 35 after scoring a personal-best 33 points, while he also grabbed 3 rebounds, dished 6 assists, recorded 1 steal, blocked 1 shot and drew 6 fouls. On his way to 33 points, he went 8-of-13 from two-point range, 4-of-8 from behind the arc and 5-of-6 on free throws. This is Baldwin's first MVP accolade of the season.

The second-best performance in Round 20 came from EA7 Emporio Armani center Brandon Davies, who had a 31 PIR in his team's 73-79 loss at home to LCLC ASVEL Villeurbanne. He recorded 26 points, going 9-of-15 on two-pointers and 8-of-11 from the free-throw line, in addition to 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal and 11 drawn fouls. Alpha Diallo of AS Monaco finished with the third-highest PIR in this round with 26, following a display against Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul that saw him collect 13 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 steals. Two players in Round 20 had a PIR of 25: Valencia Basket center Bojan Dubljevic and Fenerbahce big man Johnathan Motley. Dubljevic had 20 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist and 2 steals in Valencia's 89-81 victory over Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade, while Motley finished with 17 points, 9 rebounds and 2 assists as Fenerbahce lost in overtime to Monaco.

After having a career-best performance in a winning effort during Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv's 87-74 victory against ALBA Berlin, Wade Baldwin has earned MVP of the Round honors for the fourth time in his 108-game Turkish Airlines EuroLeague career.

Wade Baldwin | Round 20 MVP | 2022-23 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

Round 20 MVP: Wade Baldwin, Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv

Turkish Airlines EuroLeague fans, we have our 20th winner in the EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge, powered by Ardu Prime! Simanas Uzkuraitis beat everyone else in Round 20 with the team SimEveTeam, which had a whopping Fantasy Challenge score of 209.15.

Stella has the following lineup: Bojan Dubljevic of Valencia Basket, Nikola Mirotic of FC Barcelona, Wade Baldwin (team captain) of Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv, Darius Thompson of Cazoo Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz and Shane Larkin of Anadolu Efes Istanbul, all as starters. Filip Petrusev of Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade was his sixth man.

The bench featured Edgaras Ulanovas of Zalgiris, Dwayne Bacon of Panathinaikos Athens, Jaleen Smith of ALBA Berlin and Stefan Lazarevic of Zvezda. His coach was Oded Kattash of Maccabi.

The prize for finishing first in Round 20 is a free subscription to Euroleague TV for the 2023-24 season!

Ilias Tef. is the new leader atop the EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge overall standings. Ilias leads everyone else with a score of 3,393.1 fantasy points.

Trades are now open for Round 21. Remember, three trades are allowed before each round until the end of the regular season, and you can also trade your head coach.

The first two games in Round 21 are ALBA vs Valencia and Panathinaikos vs. Zalgiris, both scheduled on Thursday, January 26, 2023 at 20:00 CET, making that the next round's deadline for trades.

Try to improve your teams and challenge for more prizes at the EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge, powered by Ardu Prime!

EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge: Round 20 winner

Few spectators inside Mediolanum Forum or fans watching EA7 Emporio Armani Milan’s home game against LCLC ASVEL Villeurbanne on television would have predicted that the visiting team’s forward, Jonah Mathews, would emerge as the contest’s hero after enduring a poor first half.

ASVEL, who came out on top 79-73 to end a five-game losing streak and inflict a fourth successive loss on Milan, was 42-37 up at halftime largely thanks to Nando De Colo and Charles Kahoudi, while Mathews played a fringe role in building the advantage, having accrued just 2 points.

What's more, all three men were overshadowed by impressive first-half performances from Milan’s Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot and Brandon Davies, who posted 14 and 11 points respectively in the opening two quarters.

Davies looked like the only player likely to grab the headlines after pouring in 12 points in the third quarter, leaving the opposition players stunned with a demonstration of force which had Milan 62-57 ahead early in the fourth quarter.

Enter Mathews. The 24-year-old from San Francisco, who joined ASVEL last July from Polish side Anvil Wloclawek, scored 9 points in the third quarter, but he lit up the contest when the chips were down and sank one audacious long-range shot after another to turn the tide.

With Davies tiring, Mathews grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck and made sure the visitors came away with a massive road win to rekindle their slim hopes of reaching the playoffs. Mathews finished the game with 17 points, while he recorded an assist to Alex Tyus to put the cherry on top of the victory.

Jonah Mathews scored 15 of his 17 points in the second half of LCLC ASVEL Villeurbanne's 73-79 win at EA7 Emporio Armani Milan.

Jonah Mathews's second-half eruption vs. Milan

ASVEL head coach TJ Parker heaped praise on Mathews, having also singled out De Colo and new signing Dee Bost, who had a patchy shooting night (2-for-9) but dictated the pace on offense and dished out 6 assists.

“\[Mathews\] is the top guy, I gave him the ball to be aggressive and he made tough shots,” Parker said. “That’s what he does and, when it’s not him, we have two guys like Nando De Colo and Dee Bost on the court. It brings you a lot of weapons.”

Mathews stressed that staying confident after a slow start was vital.

“It’s a long game. It’s a game of runs; you can have a bad first quarter and a great second quarter. It’s basketball. I tried to stay confident and just play my game,” he commented. “Milan is a great team. We had to come here and do what we could to win, we have confidence in each other and tonight we got the job done.”

Game Videos

Game News

Jonah Mathews got hot in the second half to sink Milan

EA7 Emporio Armani Milan v LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne (2023-01-20T19:30:00.000Z)