LCLC ASVEL Villeurbanne beat EA7 Emporio Armani Milan 79-73 at Mediolanum Forum in a dramatic clash between the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague’s strugglers. Down the stretch, the visitors had more left in the tank as Milan threw away a five-point advantage, having led 62-57.

The French side had just 6 turnovers throughout the contest, compared to the 11 committed by Milan. Considering that several of the Italian team's turnovers came in the dying minutes when the chips were down, that contrast is made to be even bigger.

Ultimately, though, Milan paid the price for its awful three-point shooting, as the hosts sank only 4-of-21 shots from beyond the arc, while ASVEL hit 11-of-29.

Milan guard Billy Baron, the team’s most reliable sharpshooter, endured a torrid night as he finished the game on just 3 points, all of them from the foul line. Baron was 0-for-3 from three-point range, and his inability to get open underlined ASVEL’s ironclad defense, which denied him space and forced his teammates to take a barrage of tough long-range shots.

Milan dominated the boards as it racked up 39 team rebounds to ASVEL’s 22, but it came to no avail as the hosts were unable to make their dominance in the paint count.

The visitors hit 16-of-18 free throws, while Milan went 15-of-21, with most of those misses coming in the fourth quarter when the game hung in the balance.

Milan did a good job shooting from inside the arc, hitting 23 of its 35 shots, but ASVEL, who nailed 15 of 27, had the last laugh as it benefited from a more balanced offense, led by man-of-the-match Jonah Mathews, who amassed 17 points.

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Milan undone by poor long-range shooting

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

Olympiacos Piraeus has been able to call upon an array of dazzling performances from its superstars this season, with Sasha Vezenkov and Kostas Sloukas particularly impressing and the likes of Moustapha Fall, Thomas Walkup, Kostas Papanikolaou and Giannoulis Larentzakis also chipping in with major contributions.

One player who has been rather quiet, however, is Tarik Black. The veteran center headed into Friday’s crunch clash with fellow title candidate Real Madrid with averages of just 4.3 points, 1.1 rebounds and 8:09 minutes over the course of 13 appearances, generally struggling to play anything more than a background supporting role during his first season in Piraeus.

But that changed in the fourth quarter of Olympiacos's showdown with Real, as his powerhouse performance was a major factor in ensuring that the Reds climbed to a share of first place – and claimed the head-to-head advantage over the Spanish giant – with a 73-60 win. Given the tough task of going up against arguably the league’s best big man, Walter Tavares, Black rose to the challenge and delivered 10 minutes of top-quality play.

Tarik Black's big fourth-quarter plays on offense in Olympiacos Piraeus's 73-60 win against Real Madrid.

Tarik Black's big fourth-quarter plays on offense vs. Real Madrid

He started off by grabbing 4 rebounds in the opening two minutes of that final quarter, including 1 at the offensive end which allowed Kostas Sloukas to give Olympiacos a 12-point lead. After snaring another offensive board, Black netted his first points of the night with a power layup, and then pressured Tavares into committing a turnover with a double-dribble.

Inside the final three minutes, he followed another defensive board with a tough finish over Gabriel Deck, whose foul allowed Black to complete a three-point play to make it a 15-point game and remove any doubt over the outcome. He still had time for a couple more offensive rebounds and an assist to Sasha Vezenkov, before remaining on the floor until the end of the game as Olympiacos celebrated a big win.

Black ended up with 5 points, 9 rebounds, 1 assist and 2 fouls drawn, with everything but 1 rebound coming in the final quarter. He tallied a PIR of 12 over the last 10 minutes, typifying his team’s immense physical effort and showing that the Reds have yet another powerful weapon capable of playing a decisive role in the crucial moments.

Tarik Black emerged from the shadows to shine for Olympiacos

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

Edgaras Ulanovas was the hero once again for Zalgiris Kaunas as it beat the visiting Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade 71-66 at Zalgirio Arena on Friday night. The Zalgiris team captain emerged as the go-to-guy for his team when everything seemed to be lost, as Zvezda led 57-64 midway through the last period. At that point, it seemed as though Zalgiris wouldn't be able to react in time.

However, a 13-0 run for the hosts turned the game on its head. Ulanovas played a key role in the comeback, as he scored 8 points in that span, including key back-to-back three pointers in crunch time. The first came off an assist from Ignas Braddeikis to bring Zalgiris back in charge, 67-64, while the second came after a one-on-one situation against Filip Petrusev. In addition to getting all the fans off their seats, both buckets destroyed Zvezda’s resistance and sealed the win.

The best plays of Edgaras Ulanovas in Zalgiris Kaunas's 71-66 win against Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade.

Edgaras Ulanovas's best plays vs. Zvezda

“It was a long game. There were some bad moments in the third quarter and in the beginning of the fourth. We started to lose rhythm; they played really physical \[and\] didn’t let us score easily,” Ulanovas admitted in his post-game interview. “We needed to suffer a lot, but the thing is that we showed is big character."

Zalgiris head coach Kazys Maksvytis was full of praise for his captain afterward, too: “We had a plan in the fourth quarter: to pass the ball to Ulanovas. Our captain was great; he helped us."

The play of Ulanovas in crunch time was hailed by his teammates, too, as Arnas Butkevicius recognized: “Actually, I don’t know \[how we managed to win this game\]. Our captain took the ball in his hands and sealed the deal. Absolutely, \[Ulanovas is the leader in Keenan Evans's absence\]. Especially in crunch time, as he has shown this season a lot of times. He feels good in his team; he is not afraid of taking responsibility and he does it well.”

Ulanovas not only helped his team win, but he also contributed the last point from the line to move to 13 points for the game and allow Zalgiris overcome the 4-point deficit it had from its Round 13 defeat against Zvezda. Few inside Zalgirio Arena would have thought that was even possible when the hosts were down by seven with 5 minutes to go.

Edgaras Ulanovas showed why he is Zalgiris's leader in win against Zvezda

Zalgiris Kaunas v Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade (2023-01-20T18:00:00.000Z)

This season, at age 36, FC Bayer Munich center Othello Hunter has made 21 of 43 three-pointers and ranks ninth in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague with a success rate of 48.8%.

 Hunter's triple spree for Bayern was a long time coming 

[Othello Hunter](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/othello-hunter/005160/)'s first three-point attempt in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague came on the very first shot by any player in his second game way back in 2013. It also went in, but his team, Montepaschi Siena, eventually lost [89-79](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2013-14/fc-bayern-munich-montepaschi-siena/E2013/21/#play-by-play) to FC Bayern Munich at the Audi Dome in what was the German club's first-ever EuroLeague game.

Hunter tried another triple that night, 2 more that season and 11 others over his next seven EuroLeague seasons. He made none of those, however, and as such was 1 for 15 in his career and much better known for his dunking.

But Bayern must have remembered Hunter's first good three-pointer, because when he joined the German club in the summer of 2021, he got both expert help from player development director Emilio Kovacic and the green light to shoot from deep. Last season, he made a respectable 6 of 16 for a 2.03-meter center. This season, at age 36, Hunter is more than just respectable for a center. He has made 21 of 43 three-pointers and ranks ninth in the league with a success rate of 48.8%.

Still, few would have expected what he did on Friday to help Bayern storm back from 16 points down in the third quarter to beat host Anadolu Efes Istanbul 81-89. Hunter was the catalyst of the comeback, drilling 18 points while downing 4 of 6 triples and also pulling 9 rebounds among Bayern's 36-23 advantage on the boards. Both were the difference in the game.

Othello Hunter Top 3-pointers vs. Anadolu Efes, 01/20/2023

Othello Hunter's 4 three-pointers vs. Efes

His second triple helped ignite the comeback in the middle of the third quarter. His third tied it up 74-74 deep in the fourth. And his fourth put Bayern in the clear at 77-83 with 3:11 to play. Although he also made 4 earlier this season, his career high, those 3 in the second half on Friday were more than he had made in his first eight EuroLeague seasons combined.

"We just needed somebody to show us the way, and usually this is a veteran," Andrea Trinchieri, FC Bayern Munich head coach, said coming off the court. "And Othello played as a veteran, and showed the team the way. And then the ball was lighter."

Later, Trinchieri elaborated when it was recalled that he talked Hunter out of retirement to come to Bayern. It was Hunter's veteran presence on a young team that Trinchieri wanted, and Friday proved why.

"We just needed one veteran to show us the way, to relieve some pressure from our players. It was Othello Hunter. He was shooting the ball with the will and the desire to score. It's different when you shoot to score and when you shoot because you are open. For three quarters, we were shooting just because we were open, not with the fire in the eyes to knock down the shot. Then, everyone started scoring."

Hunter, for his part, was taking none of the credit.

"My teammates got me open," he said. "It's all them, nothing from me. Just them."

Spoken like a true veteran, one who has aged like fine wine.

Hunter's triple spree for Bayern was a long time coming

Anadolu Efes Istanbul v FC Bayern Munich (2023-01-20T17:30:00.000Z)

LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne celebrated a 79-73 road win at EA7 Emporio Armani Milan after versatile forward Jonah Mathews enjoyed a brilliant second half, finishing with 17 points and 5 assists after a quiet opening 20 minutes. ASVEL now has a 7-13 record, while Milan dropped to 6-14, meaning that the Italian team has the joint-worst record in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague standings.

Nando De Colo added 13 points for the winners while Charles Kahudi and Youssoupha Fall chipped in with 10 each, highlighting ASVEL’s balanced effort. Milan’s Brandon Davies led all performers with a game-high 26 points and 8 rebounds, but he ran out of steam in the final quarter. Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot had 16 points for the home side, but only 2 of those came in the second half. Devon Hall also added 12. Milan slipped to its fourth successive defeat, whereas ASVEL snapped its five-game losing streak.

ASVEL made a bright start and carved out a 14-4 lead before Milan replied with a 10-0 run, which evened the score in a slow-paced first quarter. Charles Kahudi then stepped up with some big shots to give the visitors a 24-20 lead early in the second quarter.

Both teams played in fits and starts and Milan was able to close the gap to two points several times as long-range shots started raining in from all angles, with ASVEL securing a 42-37 halftime lead with a superb baseline three-pointer from De Colo that beat the buzzer.

At this stage, man-of-the-match Mathews was nowhere to be seen as he endured a tough first half and struggled to make shots against a physical Milan defense, with Davies finishing the first half on 11 points for the home side.

Milan looked like the more likely winners when it led 51-48 midway through the third quarter as Davies took charge and scored 12 points for the hosts in the third period. He displayed an impressive arsenal of weapons, comprising of layups, slam dunks and long-range shooting to leave ASVEL’S defense in tatters.

However, Mathews shone at the other end as he finally found his range and hit some audacious three-pointers and mid-range shots, allowing ASVEL to turn a 57-62 deficit early in the fourth into an unassailable 75-70 lead in the home straight.

Milan never recovered after ASVEL blitzed into a 7-0 run when it was five points down to turn the tide and, with time running out for the hosts, Alex Tyus sealed the win with a delicious dunk off a lovely assist from Mathews.

Several costly turnovers in the last few minutes, including one from Davies, who managed only 3 points in the final quarter and missed some vital free throws, caused irreparable damage to Milan, as ASVEL came away with a much-needed victory.

ASVEL overpowers Milan, 79-73

### TJ Parker, LCLC ASVEL Villeurbanne head coach

“When we have intensity on defense, we’re a much better team. It also gets you rhythm offensively and after that we did a really good job. You’ve got those guys like Jonah Mathews, we've got Dee Bost, we've got Nando \[De Colo\]… We've got some weapons out there and, after that, we had to make some big shots and that’s what we did tonight.

“It was a good game and we knew what we had to do to win. At this stage, you have to produce defensive intensity and we did it for a long period of time. \[Jonah Mathews\] is the top guy; he had a good match-up against \[Giampaolo\] Ricci. I gave him the ball to be aggressive and he made tough shots. 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."

### Ettore Messina, EA7 Emporio Armani Milan head coach

“What made the difference was turnovers at crucial moments, and they hit 3 three-pointers that decided the game.

“They won, that’s the most important thing. Again, one more time, we failed. We had a five-point lead at one point and, unfortunately, as you saw… turnovers, not great shooting. It happens, but on top of that we missed free throws. I think 2-for-8 in the last quarter, but that’s part of the game. You cannot blame anybody for missing free throws, but for sure in the fourth quarter the decisions on the court were not good. We will keep working.”

### Jonah Mathews, LCLC ASVEL Villeurbanne forward

“We’ve been losing a couple of games in a row. 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. 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.”

### Nando De Colo, LCLC ASVEL Villeurbanne guard

“Tonight, we had something to show, and we did it. It wasn’t easy for us since the turn of the year, but we tried to keep working and tonight the victory is good. We knew that if we wanted to win the game, we had to have a high tempo, but we started with defense. Milan is a great defensive team, so playing them in the halfcourt is difficult. We kept moving the ball as the coach wanted and, for sure, we had some players who made tough shots.”

TJ Parker, ASVEL: 'We've got some weapons out there'

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EuroLeague Live Blog: Bayern, ASVEL grab big road wins; Olympiacos becomes co-leader

Olympiacos Piraeus overcame Real Madrid 73-60 in a full-blooded powerhouse battle at Peace and Friendship Stadium on Friday night. The teams now have identical records at 13-7, locked in a four-way tie for first place, but Olympiacos now holds the head-to-head advantage after this victory.

Olympiacos edged a tight first half and extended its lead to double digits early in the third. Real could never get its offense going, as the hosts maintained a comfortable advantage until the end. Thomas Walkup led the Reds with 18 points, while Sasha Vezenkov scored 15 and Kostas Sloukas had 11 points and 6 assists. Walter Tavares and Dzanan Musa both scored 12 for Real.

Tavares scored twice early for Real, but Walkup and Kostas Papanikolaou matched that for a 12-8 lead. Tavares added another pair of baskets, yet Walkup’s triple made it 19-15 after 10 minutes. Mario Hezonja’s fastbreak slam capped a 0-8 run to send Real ahead, but a three-pointer by Kostas Sloukas and two layups by Shaquielle McKissic gave the hosts a 36-28 halftime lead. Vezenkov and Gabriel Deck both scored twice early in the third, 45-37, and Isaiah Canaan’s triple helped make it 54-44 after three quarters. After a low-scoring start to the final period, McKissic and Tarik Black scored tough baskets for a 60-48 lead. Olympiacos’s defense continued to hold firm as Real failed to find rhythm. Then, Black scored at the rim again to wrap up a crucial win.

Olympiacos powers past Real Madrid to share first place, 73-60

### Georgios Bartzokas, Olympiacos Piraeus head coach

“The key to 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. We have proved all season that we have character. After big losses, we have bounced back to win. It’s not the first time we’ve proven our mentality. We’re only halfway through the season, it’s just January, but we are happy about our performance today.

“It was a great night for our team. Everyone understands 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, and we just needed be a little bit less nervous because of the importance of the game to score more. Congratulations to our team and our fans; it was a fantastic atmosphere and I’m sure everyone enjoyed a typical EuroLeague derby. As I always say, we need to forget it immediately, because we have a lot of important games in front of us. Win or lose, \[we'll\] move onto the next one.”

### Chus Mateo, Real Madrid head coach

“We played very bad on offense. We didn’t communicate too much on defense at the end. It was a tough game; it’s not easy to win here. We tried 100% and now we’ve got to keep going.

“We played against one of the biggest teams in the competition, and we knew it would not be easy to win here. Probably the difference was that, in the important moments, Olympiacos had more energy. We didn’t play smart offense to make open shots, but Olympiacos played good defense and with more physicality than us. One key point was our terrible percentage with threes, and another was that we lost some important defensive rebounds.”

### Thomas Walkup, Olympiacos Piraeus guard

“There’s a ton of jobs to be done and everybody is pitching in. \[All the players\], one through 12, played great tonight and that’s why we won this game.”

 

### Tarik Black, Olympiacos Piraeus center

“I feel pretty beat up! We had to do it tonight. We just had to fight and I’m glad that we came out with the W. It feels great to get the win. I feel like we’re all coming together; we’re very talented all together. We have the type of roster where, \[on\] different nights, different people shine or do different things to help us win. I’m just glad it’s all coming together at the right time.”

Milan undone by poor long-range shooting

Tarik Black emerged from the shadows to shine for Olympiacos

Edgaras Ulanovas showed why he is Zalgiris's leader in win against Zvezda

Hunter's triple spree for Bayern was a long time coming

ASVEL overpowers Milan, 79-73

TJ Parker, ASVEL: 'We've got some weapons out there'

EuroLeague Live Blog: Bayern, ASVEL grab big road wins; Olympiacos becomes co-leader

Olympiacos powers past Real Madrid to share first place, 73-60

Georgios Bartzokas, Olympiacos: 'It’s not the first time we’ve proven our mentality'