EuroLeague top photos of the week

Look back at all the action from Round 24 of the regular season by checking out the best photos of the week!

Top 10 photos of the week: Round 24

Virtus Segafredo Bologna boosted its roster with experience by signing Justin Holiday, the club announced Saturday. Holiday has inked a three-month deal with the Italian club, with an option to extend it for another two months.

Virtus inks former NBA champ Justin Holiday to short-term deal

Virtus Segafredo Bologna boosted its roster by signing Justin Holiday, the club announced Saturday. The sides penned a three-month deal with an option to extend it for another two months. 

Holiday (1.98 meters, 35 years old) last played with the Denver Nuggets, where he appeared in 70 games last season and helped the team reach the Western Conference Semifinals with 3.8 points and 1.3 rebounds in the regular season and the playoffs combined.

Holiday returns to Europe after more than 10 years in the NBA. He made his debut there in 2013 with the Philadelphia 76ers, before spending a year with the Golden State Warriors, with which he won the NBA championship in 2015. He also played with the Atlanta Hawks, New York Knicks, Chicago Bulls, Memphis Grizzlies, Indiana Pacers, Sacramento Kings, Dallas Mavericks and Denver.

<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">𝐉𝐔𝐒𝐓-𝐈𝐍 ⚪️⚫️<br>Welcome Justin Holiday 🔥 <a href="https://t.co/tmXzyD5U8X">pic.twitter.com/tmXzyD5U8X</a></p>&mdash; Virtus Segafredo Bologna (@VirtusSegafredo) <a href="https://twitter.com/VirtusSegafredo/status/1885679627852464575?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 1, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Holiday played more than 700 games in the NBA, posting averages of 8.0 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 680 regular-season games. He averaged at least 10 points in four of his 11 NBA seasons.

Holiday started his professional journey in 2011 with Okapi Aalstar in Belgium and has spent the 2013-14 season in Hungary with Szolnoki Olaj. He has also played for the Santa Cruz Warriors and Idaho Stampede in the G League. Holiday is now set to make his Turkish Airlines EuroLeague debut.

More Virtus News

The veteran small forward won the NBA title with the Golden State Warriors in 2015

Virtus signs former NBA champ Justin Holiday

A wonderful performance for an undermanned EA7 Emporio Armani Milan has seen Zach LeDay secure Round 24 MVP honors with a season-high PIR of 39.

Round 24 MVP: Zach LeDay, EA7 Emporio Armani Milan

A wonderful performance for an undermanned EA7 Emporio Armani Milan has seen [Zach LeDay](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/zach-leday/008987/) secure Round 24 MVP honors with a season-high PIR of 39.

LeDay tied his career high with 33 points – a total he had only managed once before, back in Round 15 of this current season – after making 7-of-10 two-pointers, 5-of-7 three-pointers and 4-of-4 free throws. He also grabbed 8 rebounds, dished 1 assist, drew 6 fouls and had a +18 in the plus/minus column, the second best of any player in this round. This is the third time this season that LeDay has secured the MVP of the Round prize, having done so in Round 7 and Round 15. It is his fourth MVP of the Round award overall, as he first took home this honor in Round 10 of the 2018-19 season.

The Milan forward was not the only player to post a 39 PIR in this round as Virtus Segafredo Bologna’s [Toko Shengelia](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/tornike-shengelia/001133/) did so as well, yet it came in defeat as his team fell to a 95-81 loss at Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul. That 39 PIR is a career high for Shengelia, who also posted a career-best mark with 35 points on 10-of-14 two-pointers, 2-of-3 three-pointers and 9-of-10 free throws. Shengelia added 5 rebounds, 3 assists and 6 fouls drawn to his tally.

The third-best PIR in Round 24 belonged to Zalgiris Kaunas’s [Sylvain Francisco](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/sylvain-francisco/007975/), who had a career-high 36 PIR in his team’s 82-97 defeat against FC Bayern Munich. Francisco posted a personal-best 33 points on 5-of-8 two-pointers, 5-of-8 three-pointers and 8-of-8 free throws, 1 rebound, 5 assists and 7 fouls drawn.

Rounding out the list of Round 24’s top performers are Olympiacos Piraeus’s [Sasha Vezenkov](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/sasha-vezenkov/003469/), Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz’s [Chima Moneke](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/chima-moneke/012201/) and Bayern’s [Nick Weiler-Babb](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/nick-weiler-babb/010391/), all with a PIR of 34. Vezenkov amassed 26 points, 9 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block and 7 fouls drawn in Olympiacos’s 92-89 win over Anadolu Efes Istanbul, Moneke recorded 22 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists and 8 fouls drawn in Baskonia’s 88-86 triumph over FC Barcelona, while Weiler-Babb had a near-perfect performance in Bayern’s win at Zalgiris with 14 points, 7 rebounds, 13 assists, 2 steals, 3 fouls drawn and zero turnovers.

### Individual highs: Toko Shengelia, Virtus, 35 points

Shengelia led all players in Round 24 with a career-high 35 points. Vezenkov is the leading scorer in the EuroLeague with 20.3 points per game.

[Juancho Hernangomez ](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/juancho-hernangomez/012712/)of Panathinaikos pulled down a career-best 13 rebounds in Round 24, more than anyone else. Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade’s [Joel Bolomboy](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/joel-bolomboy/009035/) averages a league-best 8.0 boards per night.

Nick Weiler-Babb set a new career best with a round-high 13 assists. Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv’s [Tamir Blatt](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/tamir-blatt/011193/) leads the league in assists with 7.5 per game.

[Brandon Davies](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/brandon-davies/007870/) of Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade made 6 steals in Round 24, which is the joint most of any player this season. Weiler-Babb is atop the steals charts with 1.6 per night.

[Donta Hall](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/donta-hall/011196/) of Baskonia tied his career high by blocking 4 shots this week, the most of any player in Round 24. Real Madrid’s [Walter Tavares](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/walter-tavares/005791/), the EuroLeague’s all-time leader in blocks, is the season leader in this category with 1.4 per game.

Weiler-Babb (14 points, 13 assists), ALBA Berlin’s [Martin Hermannsson](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/martin-hermannsson/008780/) (11 points, 11 assists) and AS Monaco’s [Nick Calathes](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/nick-calathes/001932/) (12 points, 10 assists) were the only players to record a double-double in Round 24, and all three did so without committing a turnover.

This is his third MVP of the Round award this season

Turkish Airlines EuroLeague fans, we have our 24th winner in this season's EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge! Sava Aleksic beat everyone else in Round 24 with his team 'sava.05', which had a Fantasy Challenge score of 252.05.

EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge Round 24 winner

Turkish Airlines EuroLeague fans, we have our 24th winner in this season's [EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge](https://euroleaguefantasy.euroleaguebasketball.net/)! Sava Aleksic beat everyone else in Round 24 with his team 'sava.05', which had a Fantasy Challenge score of 252.05.

Sava had the following starting lineup: Zach LeDay of EA7 Emporio Armani Milan as team captain, then FC Bayern Munich's Nick Weiler-Babb, Virtus Segafredo Bologna's Toko Shengelia, Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz's Chima Moneke, and Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade's Joel Bolomboy. His sixth man was Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul's Marko Guduric. The rest of Sava's bench consisted of Baskonia duo Kamar Baldwin and Ousmane Ndiaye, and Milan duo Diego Flaccadori and Giampaolo Ricci. His team's head coach was Bayern play-caller Gordie Herbert.

The prize for finishing first in Round 24 is a free VIP Euroleague TV subscription for the 2025-26 season, so congratulations, Sava!

Marko Dukic and his team 'Kughat' remains the leader of the [EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge](https://euroleaguefantasy.euroleaguebasketball.net/) overall standings with 4,081.09 points.

Trades are now open for Round 25. Remember, four trades are allowed before each round until the end of the regular season. You can either trade up to four players, or a head coach and three players.

The first game in Round 24 tips off on Tuesday, February 4, as Anadolu Efes Istanbul hosts Real Madrid at 18:30 CET. That game marks the next round's deadline.

Make new teams now or improve your existing ones and try to become our next round winner!

EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge offers weekly prizes to the top team manager. 

On Friday night, Nick Calathes showed that he is still more than capable of playing an important role for a title-chasing team, leading AS Monaco to a big 77-73 victory over Real Madrid with a double-double of 12 points and 10 assists.

Nick Calathes back to his best to boost Monaco past Real Madrid

[Nick Calathes](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/nick-calathes/001932/) is one of the most decorated players in Turkish Airlines EuroLeague history, leading the competition’s all-time charts in both assists and steals.

Naturally, plenty of excitement was generated by his arrival at [AS Monaco](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/as-monaco/mco/) this past summer, allowing him to team up with all-time scoring king [Mike James](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/mike-james/005985/) and another duo of talented guards, [Elie Okobo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/elie-okobo/011212/) and [Jordan Loyd](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/jordan-loyd/009754/), to create what looked like a dream backcourt.

The opening half of the season didn’t follow that script, however, as Calathes was sidelined by a knee injury which prevented him from making his Monaco debut until Round 19, and then understandably needed time to recover his rhythm and gain familiarity with his new teammates.

On Friday night, though, Calathes showed that he is still more than capable of playing an important role for a title-chasing team, leading Monaco to [a big 77-73 victory over Real Madrid](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/monaco-takes-control-of-third-place-by-downing-real-madrid-77-73/) with a double-double of 12 points and 10 assists.

Calathes also showcased his ball-thieving skills with a pair of steals, and proved his competitive edge by grabbing 3 rebounds and committing 4 fouls. Perhaps most significantly, though, the 35-year-old spent 33 minutes and 30 seconds on the floor – more than any other player – to demonstrate firstly that he has returned to full physical fitness and secondly that he’s earned the total trust of coach Vassilis Spanoulis.

Although that heavy workload was partly necessitated by injuries to teammates Loyd and Okobo, Calathes’s experience and knowhow was vital in managing the tempo, containing Real’s potentially explosive offense and allowing his team to never fall behind after moving ahead early in the second half.

In fact, it should have been an easier win as Monaco led by 10 points with less than three minutes remaining, before committing a series of errors to allow Real to keep fighting until the very end.

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">🔥 𝑫𝒐𝒖𝒃𝒍𝒆-𝒅𝒐𝒖𝒃𝒍𝒆<br><br>Bald Eagle had a night! 🦅<br><br>🎯 12 points<br>🎁 10 assist<br>⚡️ 17 PR<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RocaTeam?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RocaTeam</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DagheMunegu?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DagheMunegu</a> <a href="https://t.co/5bbia48i4l">pic.twitter.com/5bbia48i4l</a></p>&mdash; AS Monaco Basket 🇲🇨 (@ASMonaco_Basket) <a href="https://twitter.com/ASMonaco_Basket/status/1885430025727435239?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 31, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

And rather than dwelling on his strong personal contribution, Calathes preferred to focus on the improvements his team need to make when he reflected on the action. “We’ve got to be able to close it out better,” he told [EuroLeague.TV](http://EuroLeague.TV)

“Obviously we made some stupid mistakes, and if we want to win big games we’ve got to be solid.”

However, the veteran playmaker did acknowledge his team’s achievement in downing a fellow title candidate as he added: “Real Madrid is Real Madrid. They’ve been playing great basketball.

“Obviously they’ll be in the playoffs and be contenders like they always are. But every game for us is like a final, and we’ll see how it goes throughout these last ten games.”

With Calathes getting back to his best, Monaco looks in great position to use those remaining games to seal a top-four finish.

Game News

The all-time assists leader guided his team to an important victory 

AS Monaco v Real Madrid (2025-01-31T18:00:00.000Z)

Evan Fournier and Sasha Vezenkov stepped up – as they have done on many times this season – and combined for half of Olympiacos BC’s points in a 92-89 victory over Anadolu Efes in Round 24.

Vezenkov, Fournier led by example again in bounce-back victory over Efes

Last week’s [home loss to Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/fenerbahce-stands-strong-to-down-olympiacos-77-87/) was a tough blow for [Olympiacos Piraeus](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/olympiacos-piraeus/oly/) as it saw its seven-game winning streak come to an end. Back at the Peace and Friendship Stadium on Friday night, the Reds knew they needed to respond in front of their fans.

Enter [Evan Fournier](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/evan-fournier/013380/) and [Sasha Vezenkov](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/sasha-vezenkov/003469/). The two Olympiacos stars stepped up – as they have done on many times this season – and combined for half of their team’s points in [a 92-89 victory over Anadolu Efes Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/olympiacos-holds-off-efes-to-grab-92-89-win/) in Round 24.

Fournier needed just over nine minutes to hit double digits in scoring. Having gone 4 for 4 from the field, the Olympiacos swingman finished the first quarter with 10 points as the Reds took a 29-14 lead into the second period. Fournier netted another 10 points in the second half, this being the 11th game in which he has scored at least 20 points in his debut Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.

More importantly, Fournier also set the tone on defense, showing hustle and determination that led to important stops and deflections, as he ended the game with 2 steals.

“If we’re going to win, we’ve got to have strong defense,” Fournier told EuroLeague TV after the game. “It starts with the guys who start the game. As one of the leaders of the team, I have to impact the game on both ends of the floor. I try to be aggressive, be smart and follow the game plan. We have good defense when we do that.”

Fournier’s impact on both sides of the floor is as crucial as Vezenkov’s. The latter pulled off yet another player-of-the-game performance with 26 points, having gone an impressive 10 for 14 from the field.

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="und" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/bwinMVP?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#bwinMVP</a> of the game, Sasha Vezenkov!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OlympiacosBC?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#OlympiacosBC</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WeAreOlympiacos?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WeAreOlympiacos</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TogetherWeFight?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TogetherWeFight</a> <a href="https://t.co/HMpm8m8S5F">pic.twitter.com/HMpm8m8S5F</a></p>&mdash; Olympiacos B.C. (@Olympiacos_BC) <a href="https://twitter.com/Olympiacos_BC/status/1885448019337757138?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 31, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Vezenkov also contributed big time on the other end by protecting the boards with 7 defensive rebounds, finishing the night with a total of 9.

“It was really important for us to win this game,” he said on EuroLeague TV. “We knew that Efes was coming with confidence. They have a great team. We lost the previous game, so we needed to bounce back.”

This boost in morale comes at the best time for Olympiacos, which faces an upcoming double-round week with demanding road games at [Paris Basketball](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/paris-basketball/prs/) and [FC Barcelona](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/fc-barcelona/bar/). Despite being a team that thrives through collective effort, the Greek side will look to lean Vezenkov and Fournier once more. But that’s what leaders are for, right?

They combined for half of Olympiacos’s points in a home win

Olympiacos Piraeus v Anadolu Efes Istanbul (2025-01-31T19:15:00.000Z)

Derby games often bring out the best in certain individuals, and that was certainly the case for Filip Petrusev in KK Crvena zvezda’s 71-73 triumph over KK Partizan in Round 24.

Filip Petrusev showed in Belgrade derby that he can be ‘the future of Serbian basketball’

Derby games often bring out the best in certain individuals, and that was certainly the case for [Filip Petrusev](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/filip-petrusev/011194/) in [Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade’s 71-73 triumph over Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/crvena-zvezda-earns-bragging-rights-over-partizan-in-belgrade-derby-71-73/) on Friday night.

Petrusev is no stranger to this derby, with this being the fourth time he has faced Partizan as a Crvena Zvezda player in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague, but this was his most complete performance yet.

Despite finishing with 20 points and 8 boards the last time they met in Round 11, a game Partizan won 77-89, the Serbian forward led from the front all night long in the Round 24 rematch as Zvezda earned the bragging rights this time around – and it was a performance that shows his evolution as a player.

Once the final buzzer sounded inside Belgrade Arena on Friday, Petrusev had racked up 17 points, 8 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal and 2 blocks as he did a bit of everything. Whether it was causing headaches for Partizan with his offense or helping restrict [Tyrique Jones](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/tyrique-jones/011981/), [Brandon Davies](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/brandon-davies/007870/) and [Isaac Bonga](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/isaac-bonga/006760/) to a combined 22 points, Petrusev played like a veteran.

“He’s the future of Serbian basketball, for sure,” teammate [Nemanja Nedovic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/nemanja-nedovic/000848/) said on [the EuroLeague’s postgame show](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2WD0h-1o64). “I’m happy that he’s with us again. We try to use him the best way we can. I’m a big fan of his and I enjoy being his teammate.”

For Petrusev himself, he specifically changed his habits in the lead up to the Belgrade derby in order to have the best performance possible on the floor.

“I was so ready today,” he stated, also on the postgame show. “The last five days, I didn’t go out. I went to sleep at 11, which I never do. So I was just really getting ready for this game.”

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/adidasPlayeroftheGame?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#adidasPlayeroftheGame</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EuroLeague</a> R24 <br><br>📊 17 pts, 7/10 2FG, 8 reb, PIR 25<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/kkcz?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#kkcz</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WeAreTheTeam?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WeAreTheTeam</a> <a href="https://t.co/P8ixgH80a6">pic.twitter.com/P8ixgH80a6</a></p>&mdash; KK Crvena zvezda Meridianbet (@kkcrvenazvezda) <a href="https://twitter.com/kkcrvenazvezda/status/1885466323452301716?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 31, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

In the second quarter, Tyrique Jones found himself on four fouls and had to make his way out of the game having been called for his third and his reaction towards the officials seeing him hit with an unsportsmanlike foul. Naturally, coach Ioannis Sfairopoulos wanted Petrusev, fellow forward [John Brown](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/john-brown/010588/) and center [Joel Bolomboy](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/joel-bolomboy/009035/) to take advantage.

“Yes, the idea was to take advantage of Tyrique’s foul trouble and all three big men, meaning Bolomboy, Petrusev and Brown, did a great job at both ends of the court,” Sfairopoulos commented in the postgame press conference. “Petrusev was particularly impressive, and even more so defensively.”

Petrusev is still just 24 years old, but he showed in Friday’s Belgrade derby just what he can do on the big stage. As Nedovic said, Petrusev is the future of Serbian basketball.

An incredible performance on both ends paid dividends for the 24-year-old

Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade v Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade (2025-01-31T19:30:00.000Z)

Olympiacos BC  got back to winning ways by beating Anadolu Efes 92-89 on Friday night at the Peace and Friendship Stadium. 

Olympiacos holds off Efes to grab 92-89 win

Olympiacos Piraeus got back to winning ways by beating Anadolu Efes Istanbul 92-89 on Friday night at the Peace and Friendship Stadium. The Reds led from start to finish and even secured an 83-65 cushion with 6:29 minutes remaining. Efes responded with a late 5-18 surge to get back into the game (90-87), but the hosts sealed the outcome from the free-throw line. The Turkish Airlines EuroLeague leader protected its home court and improved to 17-7, with Efes dropping to 11-13.

Sasha Vezenkov led all scorers with 26 points, with Evan Fournier and Nikola Milutinov scoring 20 and 11, respectively. Elijah Bryant paced Efes with 21 points. Jordan Nwora and PJ Dozier netted 12 apiece, with Dan Oturu adding 10.

Game Videos

Moustapha Fall opened the scoring from inside before four points from Vezenkov and a slam from the former gave Olympiacos an 8-5 lead. Bryant and Rodrigue Beaubois opened their accounts on the other end, but five points from Fournier and another basket by Vezenkov allowed the hosts to maintain a 15-10 cushion. Nigel Williams-Goss and Bryant traded triples off the glass, but Olympiacos ended the first quarter with a 9-0 run fueled by Fournier and Kostas Papanikolaou, who made it 29-14 from the line.

Dozier completed a three-point play, but Milutinov answered with back-to-back dunks to restore a 33-19 lead. Alec Peters responded with a triple to a midrange jumper from Dozier, but a Larkin three-pointer and seven points from Nwora slashed the difference to 41-37. Papanikolaou and Nwora traded triples before a couple of free throws by Shaquielle McKissic gave Olympiacos a 47-40 cushion at halftime.

Bryant and Poirier opened the third quarter with buckets inside, but Vezenkov’s triple was followed by back-to-back three-point plays from Williams-Goss and Fournier, who opened a 56-46 lead. Rolands Smits replied with five straight points before a jumper by Oturu brought Efes within 60-53. With both teams in foul trouble, the game turned into a free-throw contest before buckets from Bryant and Ercan Osmani cut the margin to 64-59. Yet, four points from Vezenkov and an inside score by Milutinov gave Olympiacos a 74-61 cushion heading into the closing quarter.

Milutinov and Thompson exchanged baskets before five points from Vezenkov extended Olympiacos’s lead to 83-65. Bryant netted four straight points, but Vezenkov nailed a layup in transition to make it 85-69. Efes fired on all cylinders in the closing stages and responded with a 5-18 run inspired by Bryant, who took his tally to 21 points from deep and brought Efes within 90-87. Yet, Williams-Goss went 2 for 2 from the line to seal the outcome.

Sasha Vezenkov and Evan Fournier combined for 46 points


Nemanja Nedovic – as he did in the first-ever EuroLeague Belgrade derby – became the hero for KK Crvena zvezda by scoring the points that won the game against KK Partizan, with Ioannis Sfairopoulos's men downing Zeljko Obradovic's side 71-73.

Crvena Zvezda earns bragging rights over Partizan in Belgrade derby, 71-73

Never before has the Belgrade derby taken place this deep into the regular season, but Nemanja Nedovic – as he did in the first-ever Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Belgrade derby – became the hero for Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade by scoring the points that won the game against Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade, with Ioannis Sfairopoulos's men downing Zeljko Obradovic's side 71-73.

This win improved Crvena Zvezda's record to 14-10 while Partizan dropped to 12-12. Partizan does hold the tiebreaker advantage, however, after winning by 12 points when they met back in Round 11.

Filip Petrusev led Crvena Zvezda in points with 17, followed by Joel Bolomboy with 14. Both players also pulled down 8 rebounds. Codi Miller-McIntyre paired 11 points with 6 assists for the winners. Carlik Jones was the only Partizan player to score in double figures, netting 20 points.

Roared on by 20,000 home fans in an immaculately fervent atmosphere, Partizan took an early 5-3 lead as Brandon Davies hit the ground running and lit up the stands in the cauldron of Belgrade Arena.

Galvanized by a pair of monster blocks, the Partizan crowd created an expectably unmatched atmosphere and Carlik Jones sank a deep two to keep the hosts in the driving seat, 10-7, midway through the first quarter.

Jones followed that up with a layup before Nikola Kalinic replied with a three off the dribble at the other end, setting the scene for a tit-for-tat battle. Zvezda edged ahead 14-18 with some tough plays as defense got ramped up at both ends of the floor.

Carlik Jones got Partizan and the crowd going again with a two-handed slam but Zvezda managed to keep the upper hand at the end of the first quarter, 18-21, as Partizan threw the ball away for a turnover in its final possession.

Partizan head coach Zeljko Obradovic called a timeout 40 seconds into the second quarter as the hosts continued to turn the ball over but Zvezda kept returning the favor, allowing Partizan to stay in touch.

Thriving on good work from big men Joel Bolomboy and Filip Petrusev, Zvezda was able to say ahead until Arijan Lakic propelled Partizan into a 27-26 lead with a delightful drive to the basket. Another monster block from Tyrique Jones on Isaiah Canaan followed by a Sterling Brown baseline jumper made the atmosphere reach fever pitch.

Another layup by Lakic made the score 33-33 with 3:30 minutes left in the first half as the titanic tussle carried on relentlessly, Serbia’s eternal rivals resembling a pair of heavyweights trading punches in a boxing ring.

A lovely drive by Canaan produced a three-point play as Zvezda’s livewire guard drew a foul too and then taunted the home fans, giving th visitors a 35-38 lead with 84 seconds left in the second quarter.

Zvezda finished the first half on a high as Codi Miller-McIntyre ripped through Partizan’s defense for a pair of successive layups, giving Zvezda a thoroughly deserved 37-42 lead at the interval.

Carlik Jones opened his second half account with a lovely drive, with baskets becoming increasingly difficult in the wake of aggressive defense at both ends of the floor. Dejan Davidovac replied for Zvezda before Jones sank a triple to raise the decibel level through the roof, as Partizan closed in to 42-45.

The fired-up Jones made another one before Filip Petrusev tipped in an offensive board at the other end, keeping Zvezda in the driving seat midway through the third quarter of a strength-sapping matchup.

Roared on by support so frenetic it would send a chill down any opposition’s spine, Carlik Jones continued to do his thing and sank a long three after nailing a pair of free throws to give Partizan a 51-49 advantage with under four minutes left in the third.

Clearly rattled, Zvezda was struggling on offense as it seemed bereft of ideas against an ironclad Partizan defense but Rokas Giaedraitis managed to flush down a layup and Miller-McIntyre followed up with a jumper before Joel Bolomboy denied Iffe Lundberg with a huge block at the other end.

Miller-McIntyre buried two more from the foul line to give resilient Zvezda a 53-55 lead ahead of the final 10 minutes, as Jones fired a wayward three-pointer on the third quarter’s buzzer.

Petrusev carried on for Zvezda with a big dunk in the opening play of the fourth and that seemed to spur both teams into some high quality offensive action, with the visitors holding a 60-63 advantage with 6:26 minutes left on the clock.

Petrusev then profited from a barrage of Zvezda’s offensive rebounds in a single possession to extend the lead with a three-point play, forcing Obradovic to call another time out as he also silenced the home crowd’s deafening roar.

Partizan, refused to roll over and clawed its way back with a 5-0 run before an Isaac Bonga triple levelled the score at 68-68, only for Bolomboy to make a three-point play in Zvezda’s next possession. A dramatic finished ensued as Bonga sank a pair of free throws before Tyrique Jones missed a chance to swing the lead Partizan’s way when he charged into a Zvezda defender.

Zvezda was running an empty on offense, though, allowing the hosts yet another steal which ultimately led to more free throws for Carlik Jones, who made one of two to tie the score 71-71 with 69 seconds left.

In a heart-stopping finish to regulation time, Brown clattered into Zvezda’s Nemanja Nedovic one second before the buzzer and the point guard made no mistake from the line, sinking two of three shots from the line to give his team a priceless win.

The game went right down to the wire, but Nemanja Nedovic's free throws gave the red-and-white half of Belgrade the win