Check out what the coaches and players are saying ahead of Round 22 of the 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.

Pregame quotes hub: 'Paris is a unique team'

## Friday, January 24

### [LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne vs. FC Barcelona (20:00 CET)](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/game-center/2024-25/ldlc-asvel-villeurbanne-fc-barcelona/E2024/205/)

**Joan Penarroya, FC Barcelona head coach**

"The team is feeling well. After a month in which we barely couldn't have a day off, we were able to stop and I think that it was good for the players. But the competition doesn't stop: it looks like it is a week to rest but we have two road games, and we have to focus on the most recent one, which is the one tomorrow against ASVEL. It is a team that already showed at Palau \[Blaugrana\] that they are really talented, with important players able to play one-on-one, with very good athletes. It is a team that if it plays like it should, it can put anybody in trouble. Theo Maledon is a player that months ago, all good teams in Europe asked about him. But they have other players, someone as experienced as Nando De Colo, who gives them a lot of balance, Paris Lee, Roberson... It is talented team and like other French squads, they like to play on the open court, with quick transitions and a lot of players going one-on-one. It is something we have to stop as a team, not individually."

**Youssoupha Fall, FC Barcelona center**

"We prepared well for the game. We are all positive, we're in good shape, and we're ready to go. We turned our bad form around and are now in a good moment. I think my role is to be ready every time, to be available for my team, even if I don't play: to help my team win, no matter watch. I think it will be a tough game. ASVEL played good last time. We have to stay concentrated and be ready for a new battle."

### [ALBA Berlin vs. FC Bayern Munich (20:00 CET)](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/game-center/2024-25/alba-berlin-fc-bayern-munich/E2024/204/)

**Gordon Herbert, FC Bayern Munich head coach**

"I'm looking less at the big win we had against them here in the EuroLeague (115:88) and more at the last game we lost there (81:88 in the BBL). ALBA is coming, they're healthy again and have new players. They're a good basketball team, you can't let the standings fool you. But this is an answer game for us. Okay, we're playing against ALBA, this duel has become a great tradition. But what's more important to me is that we play good basketball again, more stable. Even if we have a bad offensive game, like against Virtus, we should be able to win. We can't win every time and score 90 points. We also have to toil sometimes and still be successful."

**Nick Weiler-Babb, FC Bayern Munich guard**

"We played great, nothing went wrong in the first half. But then the game slowly slipped away from us \[in the German League game against ALBA two weeks ago\]. We need to take this seriously and not mess it up. If we are ahead, we have to hold on to that lead, and if we are behind, we need to fight. Despite their many problems, they always had good moments during the season and even won unexpectedly at times. It's always tricky against them because they always play better against us. We cannot take this game lightly. This is different from a \[German League\] game, it's a very important game. Because we want to remain in a position to make the play-in or playoffs in the EuroLeague."

### [Olympiacos Piraeus vs. Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul (20:15 CET)](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/game-center/2024-25/olympiacos-piraeus-fenerbahce-beko-istanbul/E2024/206/)

**Georgios Bartzokas, Olympiacos Piraeus head coach**

"We will not approach the game thinking that it is a game for the first place. That’s against our philosophy. It’s just the upcoming game for us, nothing more. Of course, we want the first place and the home-court advantage; there is no doubt about it. But, it’s too soon to talk about it. As we all know, every game in the EuroLeague matters, and the game against Fenerbahçe is not the one that will decide first place. We are coming from a winning streak in the EuroLeague. Generally, we played well the last two months, but this game is going to be different and tough. They defend well on the ball; they have a set game on defense and offense because of their coach philosophy. For us, it is important to control the pace, run a lot, and move the ball well. Since our game in the first \[part of the regular season\], many things have changed on both teams. There are many differences on the rosters as well. Both teams have improved their game, and the proof for that is where they are in the standings."

**Moustapha Fall, Olympiacos Piraeus center**

"We expect a tough game, as every game in the Euroleague. They will play tough, but we will do the same because we want to keep the first position in the standings. All we have to do in order to get one more win is to stay focused and follow our game plan."

**Sarunas Jasikevicius, Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul head coach**

"We are playing against a team that is the best in Europe and the team that always finds a way to win in a very difficult arena. We must worry first of all about their team concepts, and a team game specially, the ball movement, and then have to deal with some great players who are in very good shape like Vezenkov and Fournier."

**Errick McCollum, Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul guard**

"We are preparing for Olympiacos. We know that they are a strong team. They have been in first place. Majority of the year they’ve had a lot of success, a lot of continuity, a lot of the same guys, same coach so our hands will be full. So, we have to prepare for them, the coach will put the game plan in and we have to follow. We must play strong, tough and smart especially on an away game atmosphere like Olympiacos."

## Thursday, January 23

### [Anadolu Efes Istanbul vs. EA7 Emporio Armani Milan (18:30 CET)](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/game-center/2024-25/anadolu-efes-istanbul-ea7-emporio-armani-milan/E2024/199/)

**Luca Banchi, Anadolu Efes Istanbul head coach**

"It's another opportunity in the EuroLeague schedule to show our desire to win a game and we can change the inertia of our actual moment. EA7 Emporio Armani Milan is a playoff team which will come to Istanbul with a strong motivation. I know them as a very proud team and they know how important this game is for both teams. So from our side, I really hope that we use experience from the last games and we approach this game with proper focus, determination and play basketball that can make us compete. Because this is a league where every single possession matters. And we really want to show a different attitude and a different level of performance."

**Ercan Osmani, Anadolu Efes Istanbul forward**

"Unfortunately, we haven't been able to get the results we wanted recently. We want to start a new winning streak and climb up in the standings. EA7 Emporio Armani Milan is a team that has been on the rise recently. We need to show our team play, concentrate very well in 40 minutes and never give up the fight."

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

"\[Thursday\] morning we'll make a decision about \[Leandro\] Bolmaro and \[Zach\] LeDay, who came out hurt from the last \[Italian League\] game. However, we intend to play with cohesion and keep improving at every possible turn. Efes has the talent level of a Final Four team, so we know how hard this game is going to be."

### [Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv vs. Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade (20:05 CET)](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/game-center/2024-25/maccabi-playtika-tel-aviv-crvena-zvezda-meridianbet-belgrade/E2024/203/)

**Oded Kattash, Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv head coach**

"For us it is our defensive intensity, to keep our focus and finish the job controlling the board. That is something when you play Crvena Zvezda. Also, to attack the right way. They really put a lot of pressure, we need to reduce turnovers. These are the two main keys."

**Levi Randolph, Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv forward**

"We understand what’s ahead of us, we have a difficult schedule, but there are no excuses. I really feel that it just takes one win to get the ball rolling, get some momentum, gain some confidence we show in spurts. We got to continue to get better."

**Ioannis Sfairopoulos, Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade head coach**

"If we think that the opponent is easy just because the opponent has only five wins - we will be very naive. Maccabi is a very good team and I believe that their position in the table is not realistic. It is very important for us to play good defense.  They are great on offense, they have a quality flow of the ball. They know how to play together, defenders and tall players. They have a great cooperation with each other and we have to stop that cooperation with good defense."

**Luka Mitrovic, Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade forward**

"It is rarely easy in the EuroLeague. We don't expect anything else against Maccabi either. Maybe the position says otherwise, but we enter the match very cautiously. We are ready, above all mentally, to play a good game and, God willing, achieve an important victory. At the end of the day, it all depends on us and our release. It proved that even 20,000 fans in the Arena are not enough if we are not good enough. On the other hand, we proved that when we are at a high level, there is no away field where we cannot win."

### [Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens vs. Zalgiris Kaunas (20:15 CET)](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/game-center/2024-25/panathinaikos-aktor-athens-zalgiris-kaunas/E2024/200/)

**Ergin Ataman, Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens head coach**

"Now we'll forget about the Greek League derby \[which we won\] against Olympiacos. In the EuroLeague, we lost two games last week in Spain, so now we will have more games on our home court. The first is against Zalgiris, a very important game because we lost in Kaunas with a huge points difference. They have very experienced players, especially perimeter players: \[Sylvain\] Francisco, \[Lonnie\] Walker, \[Ignas\] Brazdeikis, \[Dovydas\] Giedraitis. On their bigs, Smailagic played a great game against Fenerbahce in Istanbul. Okay, we are missing some important players, but we have a very good roster and we can manage the game with this roster, maybe with some short rotations at the '5' and the '4'. It will be important to play aggressive defense, like we played two days ago in the derby game."

**Kendrick Nunn, Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens guard**

"When we play with good energy, it raises our chances of winning. We had a good day of practice, had a good week. The guys will be ready \[against Zalgiris\]. Everybody needs to step up and bring a little more than they have \[given the injury situation\], including me. We're in the back end of the season now and it's important to give ourselves the best seed possible for the playoffs. We will do that, we know that, we're conscious of that, and I'm still confident of that and our chances to win."

**Andrea Trinchieri, Zalgiris Kaunas head coach**

"What to say when you go to play in OAKA against the reigning champion of the EuroLeague? That they are good, we all know. That they are super good, we all know that. They have a lot of talent and they are playing for the repeat, and we should prepare very well physically and mentally. We need to be very aware that we have to play our best game in order to compete. I prevent you from asking me how to stop this player, how to stop that player, because they really have tons of talent: \[Kendrick\] Nunn, \[Kostas\] Sloukas, Lorenzo Brown, Cedi Osman, \[Jerian\] Grant is playing an amazing season. They are a team that I believe will go small ball, and that's something we have to expect. But I don't believe you can have a recipe to stop players with such amounts of talent, so you need to play a really compete game offensively, defensively, and really try to put all the energy you have on both ends of the court."

### [Virtus Segafredo Bologna vs. AS Monaco (20:30 CET)](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/game-center/2024-25/virtus-segafredo-bologna-as-monaco/E2024/201/)

**Dusko Ivanovic, Virtus Segafredo Bologna head coach**

"We are facing Monaco, a team that I believe has been built to play at the Final Four. They can count on excellent players and a lot of solutions both in 1vs1 against one with Mike James, \[Elie\] Okobo and \[Jordan\] Loyd, and around the basket with \[Donatas\] Motiejunas, they are a really complete team."

**Marco Belinelli, Virtus Segafredo Bologna guard**

"For sure, we have another tough game ahead of us from a physical and mental standpoint. We face a team that comes from three consecutive losses and will want to approach this game from the start aggressively, both on offense and defense, trying to steal balls and find easy baskets. They have great individuality and on our part we will have to take the court in the right way, as we are doing in this last period. It will be necessary to find solutions on offense by playing as a team, without conceding balls in the opponent’s half of the court."

**Vassilis Spanoulis, AS Monaco head coach**

"It's a very, very important game for us. In previous seasons, you had to win around 21 games to get into the playoffs, this year it may be 19 given how close it is, but all these games are ones we have to go out and win. We've got our destiny in our hands, and we've got to be perfectly ready to face this Virtus team in front of their home crowd."

**Mam Jaiteh, AS Monaco center**

"We certainly have to react. It's part of a EuroLeague season to have moments that are very high and others that are a little lower. We have to make sure that this period is as short as possible. To do that, we need to get back to our standards. Get back to what's worked so far, and if we fight for that, we've got a good chance of winning again. Bologna? They're a team I know most of the players in. They've had a difficult start to the season, but you can tell that under the new coach, they're playing better and fighting harder. Their ranking is not representative of what they're doing at the moment. It's going to be very difficult, but we're going to do everything we can to come away with the success we're hoping for."

### [Real Madrid vs. Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz (20:45 CET)](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/game-center/2024-25/real-madrid-baskonia-vitoria-gasteiz/E2024/202/)

**Chus Mateo, Real Madrid head coach**

"Baskonia is in very good rhythm and is clearly on the rise. That is why I hope that we pay all our attention and do not think that just because we won in Vitoria on January 6, we are going to win \[this\] game without putting in all our effort. Baskonia has players who are clearly improving: Moneke, Luwawu-Cabarrot, Samanic. The two point guards are playing together on many occasions at a good level and, of course, there is Howard, apart from the rest. I am not going to discover anything by saying that Baskonia is capable of scoring a lot and that has many weapons, especially offensive, which makes it dangerous. I think it can beat anyone and that requires all of our attention."

**Usman Garuba, Real Madrid center**

"Every game is important. We have to continue fighting for our objective, which is to continue moving forward in a competition like the Euroleague in which everything is very even. We have played against Baskonia several times this season, we know them well and we know what they are capable of, so we have to be ready and prepared to face a tough and difficult match. Now we are running well and doing damage on the fast break. We have to continue down that path and play with great intensity. We are happy to play at home and we will try to become stronger at the Movistar Arena."

## Wednesday, January 22

### [Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade vs. Paris Basketball](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/game-center/2024-25/partizan-mozzart-bet-belgrade-paris-basketball/E2024/207/)

**Zeljko Obradovic, Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade head coach**

"Paris is one of the teams we lost to in a close finish, even though we had many positive moments in that game. Paris is a unique team that frequently rotates players, and it’s unusual to see players getting up from the bench on their own, knowing substitutions are coming. They play at a very high tempo, take an enormous number of three-point shots, and shoot with impressive accuracy while always crashing the offensive glass. After conceding a basket, they immediately transition into pick-and-roll action. If the first pick doesn’t work, they keep repeating it. We’ve prepared for that, and I expect us to deliver an even better performance than we did in Paris and to continue playing defense the way we did in our last game."

**Arijan Lakic, Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade guard**

"After two away games in a double round, we’re now looking forward to playing at home, and I believe we’re ready. Paris plays at a fast pace, and we know we need to slow them down. Even when they concede points, they quickly inbound the ball and transition into offense. We have to be prepared for that and stay focused on every possession."

Check out what the coaches and players are saying ahead of Round 23 of the 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.

Pregame quotes hub: 'Every game in the EuroLeague matters'

Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade v Paris Basketball (2025-01-22T19:30:00.000Z)

Olympiacos Piraeus v Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul (2025-01-24T19:15:00.000Z)

LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne v FC Barcelona (2025-01-24T19:00:00.000Z)

ALBA Berlin v FC Bayern Munich (2025-01-24T19:00:00.000Z)

Real Madrid v Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz (2025-01-23T19:45:00.000Z)

Virtus Segafredo Bologna v AS Monaco (2025-01-23T19:30:00.000Z)

Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens v Zalgiris Kaunas (2025-01-23T19:15:00.000Z)

Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv v Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade (2025-01-23T19:05:00.000Z)

Anadolu Efes Istanbul v EA7 Emporio Armani Milan (2025-01-23T17:30:00.000Z)

KK Partizan has gone 10-3 since beating KK Crvena zvezda in the last Belgrade derby... and the two teams go head to head again next week.

Partizan warmed up for Belgrade derby by racking up another win

Ten rounds into the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season, fans of [Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/partizan-mozzart-bet-belgrade/par/) must have been in disbelief. Their team not only had a 2-8 record but was 1-4 at home, and up next was the derby against archrival Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade.

Even though there were many doubts surrounding [Zeljko Obradovic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/partizan-mozzart-bet-belgrade/par/obradovic-zeljko/)’s players, basically all of whom had only joined the club this past summer, they stood up to be counted in the derby and secured a 77-89 win – a victory as the road team, but on their home court at Belgrade Arena.

Since that derby win, Partizan has won six of its last seven home games, including [Wednesday night’s 92-86 triumph over Paris Basketball](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/isaac-bonga-stars-as-partizan-outguns-paris-92-86/), and gone 10-3 overall. Were it not for two MVP-level performances by Theo Maledon and Joffrey Lauvergne for LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne in Round 16, Partizan could quite easily be riding a seven-game winning streak at home.

Partizan has won its last three contests at Belgrade Arena and is on a three-game winning streak overall following a perfect double round last week that saw the Serbian side beat ASVEL and EA7 Emporio Armani Milan on the road by a combined 51 points. Yes, 51 points.

The margin of victory against Paris was *just* six points, but it was equally as important as the side from the French capital had defeated Partizan by three points (74-71) back in Round 8. As such, Coach Obradovic’s troops hold the tiebreaker advantage, something that could be crucial in 11 rounds’ time.

“It was a tough start, we knew they were going to play really fast," forward Isaac Bonga told EuroLeague TV after the Paris win. "We just adapted to it. Coach basically told us: ‘Every game we have in the future, we should treat it like a final.’ We treated today like a final and we came out with the win in the end.”

Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade forward Isaac Bonga spoke to EuroLeague TV after his team beat Paris Basketball in Round 23 of the 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.

Isaac Bonga: 'We treated today like a final'

Partizan remains outside the postseason spots despite its Round 23 win, sitting in 11th place with a 12-11 record, but the standings are so tight that it wouldn’t take much to surge upwards. Either way, the mood is good inside the camp.

“We went out there and did what we wanted to do, which was get a win,” star guard [Carlik Jones](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/carlik-jones/013369/) said on EuroLeague TV on Wednesday night. “\[Paris is\] a good team, a fast-paced team, a hard-fought team, but we’re a tough team, too. We play fast, we defend. The fans were great tonight. Man, it was an incredible win for us.”

Importantly, several of the team’s players are now fully on the same page, with Carlik Jones and [Sterling Brown](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/sterling-brown/012720/) offering a thrilling 1-2 punch, and [Tyrique Jones](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/tyrique-jones/011981/) bringing a level of energy not seen since [Mathias Lessort](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/mathias-lessort/003842/) donned Partizan’s colors.

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="und" dir="ltr">AAAAAA🖤🤍🖤🤍<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KKPartizan?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KKPartizan</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EuroLeague?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EuroLeague</a> <a href="https://t.co/oMjEI9lcUF">pic.twitter.com/oMjEI9lcUF</a></p>&mdash; KK Partizan Mozzart Bet (@PartizanBC) <a href="https://twitter.com/PartizanBC/status/1882178908105416920?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 22, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Which game is up next for Partizan, I hear you ask? A contest against the opponent that helped kickstart Partizan’s season back in Round 11 – Crvena Zvezda.

Curiously, Ioannis Sfairopoulos’s men have posted an 8-3 record since tasting defeat to Partizan in the previous Belgrade derby, so both teams come into this game feeling very good about themselves. Everything is pointing towards a very memorable occasion, and one that could have a big impact on the postseason picture.

Game News

The black-and-white half of Belgrade celebrated an important victory over Paris in Round 23

Isaac Bonga had the best performance of his EuroLeague career as KK Partizan beat Paris Basketball 92-86 in Round 23 of the 2024-25 EuroLeague season.

Isaac Bonga stars as Partizan outguns Paris, 92-86

Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade made it three wins in a row in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague – following back-to-back road triumphs last week – by downing Paris Basketball 92-86 in an outstanding offensive battle at Belgrade Arena on Wednesday night. Zeljko Obradovic’s men improved to 12-11 on the season and have also won their last three home games, while Paris dropped to 13-9 and has now lost its last four games on the road. By emerging with a six-point win, Partizan made up for its three-point defeat (74-71) to Paris back in Round 8 and thus secured the tiebreaker.

Carlik Jones led Partizan in scoring with 17 points, and Isaac Bonga had an excellent all-around game with 16 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals. Sterling Brown also had 15 points, Brandon Davies netted 13, and Iffe Lundberg poured in 11. Paris had four players finish in double figures in points: TJ Shorts (19 points), Tyson Ward (14), Nadir Hifi (13), and Collin Malcolm (10).

Game Videos

Paris was the team that started the game the better, with Shorts, Malcolm and Ward all combining to put the visitors 4-14 ahead. Bonga’s corner three out of a timeout provided a boost to the hosts, and scores inside by Tyrique Jones and Lundberg were followed by another corner three, this time by Carlik Jones, as Partizan trimmed the gap to 14-16. Hifi and Maodo Lo joined forces for Paris to give Tiago Splitter’s side some breathing room, but Bonga – who had a 17 PIR at the end of the first period – finished the quarter with a three to pull Partizan within six points at 26-32.

Brown started the second quarter with a block on Shorts and then followed that up with a three-pointer, resulting in a loud roar from the Partizan faithful. A couple of minutes later, Bonga continued his impressive first half with a floater, a towering defensive rebound and a layup in quick succession to make it a one-point ballgame, 35-36. When Arijan Lakic ended up draining a three to put Partizan 40-38 ahead, the crowd went crazy. From there, the wind was in Partizan’s sails as Lundberg, Davies and Tyrique Jones gave Partizan a 52-45 edge, yet Shorts and Malcolm made it a one-possession affair at 52-49. Tyrique Jones’s poster dunk on Mikael Jantunen gave Partizan a 54-49 lead at halftime.

Brown and Lundberg helped Partizan fight off Paris, which was getting contributions from Shorts and Hifi, in the opening stages of the third frame as Partizan led 63-57. An 8-1 Paris run that was capped by a Yakuba Ouattara tough score inside restored the advantage to the visitors, 64-65, but Davies scored five points for Partizan to make it 69-67. A big fast-break dunk by Brown and a Lakic three allowed Partizan to hold a 74-69 edge after 30 minutes.

Carlik Jones scored four points in the opening 70 seconds of the fourth quarter to put Partizan up by eight, 78-70, but then it was the turn of Aleksej Pokusevski – who hadn’t played through the first three quarters – to come into the game and bank in a three, 81-74. Paris refused to go away, getting baskets from Shorts and Hifi to pull within four at 83-79, but Pokusevski banked in another three at 86-79. Partizan managed the game the rest of the way, with Brown and Carlik Jones putting the icing on the cake in the final 20 seconds as the hosts ran out to a 92-86 victory.

The German forward posted a career-high 28 PIR in a very impressive individual display

The Euroleague.net experts – featuring Geoff Gillingham, Frankie Sachs, Igor Petrinovic, and Javier Gancedo – provide their updated power rankings as of Round 22 of the 2024-25 regular season

Power Rankings through Round 22: Real Madrid, Barcelona on the rise

Welcome to the January edition of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Power Rankings. The following list is the brainchild of [EuroLeague.net](http://EuroLeague.net)'s team of experts, which is made up of [Geoff Gillingham](https://x.com/GeoffGillingham), [Frankie Sachs](https://x.com/MrEuroleague), [Igor Petrinovic](https://x.com/IgorPetrinovic) and [Javier Gancedo](https://x.com/ganchetto).

The power rankings represent where the experts rank if compared to all teams right now and not necessarily where they feel they will be at the end of the season.

Next to each team, there are several numbers. First is the team's record. It is followed by the highest rank on any individual ballot, and the next number represents the lowest.

### 1. Olympiacos Piraeus (16-6); 1, 1

**Previous rankings: Preseason - 2. November - 1. December – 1.**

Olympiacos is the hottest team in the competition and despite its many injuries, the Reds keep winning. Sasha Vezenkov has been just unstoppable in 2025, even netting 45 points, the third-best scoring mark in the modern EuroLeague era, against Bayern. Coach Georgios Bartzokas's team is deep in every position and players like Alec Peters, Shaquielle McKissic and Moustapha Fall are always ready to step up. Things could get even better with a healthier Nikola Milutinov. Right now, Olympiacos is the team to beat in the competition. *--* *Javier Gancedo*

### 2. Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens (13-9); 2, 4

**Previous rankings: Preseason - 1. November - 2. December – 3.**

Panathinaikos is coming off two tough defeats in the double-round week, and it is now without injured centers Mathias Lessort and Omer Yurtseven, but there are plenty of reasons why the Greens have risen one place to second in our power rankings. Kendrick Nunn is the best scorer in the EuroLeague, Panathinaikos remains stacked full of talent, and Ergin Ataman knows what it takes to create a winning machine. When Panathinaikos is clicking – as it was between Rounds 16 and 20 – there’s arguably no better team in the league. *--* *Geoff Gillingham*

### 3. AS Monaco (13-9); 2, 4

**Previous rankings: Preseason - 6. November - 8. December – 2.**

Just two weeks ago Monaco was atop of the standings and tied for the most wins in the league, but the team from the Principality has three losses in the last three games. What’s a bit unusual is that the team with so many clutch players on the roster, and coached by arguably the most clutch performer in EuroLeague history, failed to win a pair of nail-biters last week, despite having the last possession to win at the end of regulation in both games. Losses aside, Monaco is playing well and is getting Alpha Diallo back to full speed, with Vassilis Spanoulis's men having the path to both the playoffs and home-court advantage in their own hands. *--* *Igor Petrinovic*

### 4. Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul (14-7); 2, 5

**Previous rankings: Preseason - 3. November -3. December – 4.**

Solidly in second place in the standings, Fenerbahce has survived a series of injuries to its backcourt to win four games in a row. Coach Sarunas Jasikevicius has instilled his toughness into his charges and at its best, Fenerbahce is a team to be feared. However, when the team takes its foot off the gas, it can be vulnerable. Ultimately, the likes of Nigel Hayes-Davis and Marko Guduric plus Wade Baldwin – when he returns, make up a dangerous core and the rest of the rotation is deep with talent and experience. Let's see how Fenerbahce responds to Friday’s trip to league-leading Olympiacos. *--* *Frankie Sachs*

### 5. Real Madrid (12-10); 4, 6

**Previous rankings: Preseason - 4. November - 9. December – 8.**

Slowly but steadily, things are getting better for Real Madrid in 2025. Despite losing forward Gabriel Deck to injury, *Los Blancos* found their rhythm once Dzanan Musa returned to action. Facu Campazzo is proving night in, night out that he is one of the best point guards in the competition. Even when Walter Tavares has been in foul trouble, Usman Garuba and Serge Ibaka have appeared. Dennis Smith Jr. should give Madrid more athleticism and a solid option to attack the rim. Its recent loss against Olympiacos should be a wake-up call, as Real is ready to achieve big things. *--* *Javier Gancedo*

### 6. FC Barcelona (13-9); 5, 9

**Previous rankings: Preseason - 5. November - 5. December – 10.**

With four straight wins, Barcelona has started to come together. Even more impressive is that three of those wins came against teams from the top part of the standings and it did so without a fully healthy roster. Kevin Punter leads five Barca players with PIRs in double figures and the likes of Chimezie Metu and Dario Brizuela have been playing their best basketball lately. The leadership and experience of Jan Vesely and Jabari Parker shan’t be overlooked either. Of its remaining games, Barca will face six of the seven teams with the worst records in the league, so a strong finish could be in the cards. *--* *Frankie Sachs*

### 7. Paris Basketball (13-8); 7, 10

**Previous rankings: Preseason - 17. November - 4. December – 5.**

Paris dropped a few spots down after a rough stretch that saw it lose four in a row. Back-to-back wins over struggling Efes and Maccabi did little to convince the panel that Paris remains a Final Four contender. TJ Shorts has been otherworldly, but while he is surrounded by a deep supporting cast, there is no second star. Even though an upcoming run of five home games in six contests could do wonders for the Parisians, only time will tell if the EuroLeague debutants have the mettle to stand up to the pressure of the closing stretch. *--* *Frankie Sachs*

### 8. EA7 Emporio Armani Milan (12-10); 6, 10

**Previous rankings: Preseason - 8. November - 13. December – 11.**

Any team featuring Nikola Mirotic and Zach LeDay needs to be taken seriously. Milan had a dreadful start to the EuroLeague season but has recovered and now finds itself in the play-in spots, with Ettore Messina’s men doing the difficult part – winning five of its last six road games – but falling into old habits at Unipol Forum, winning one of its last four games there. Still, there’s a lot of upside with Milan, especially once their injury list starts to reduce (Mirotic is now out for at least two weeks), and the Italian side should be a threat in the final stretch of the season. *--* *Geoff Gillingham*

### 9. Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade (13-9); 6, 11

**Previous rankings: Preseason - 12. November - 11. December – 13.**

The performances might not always be impressive, but the results are certainly there for Crvena Zvezda, the winner in five of the last six rounds and seven of the last nine. Five of those wins came by a margin of 8 points or fewer, and in four of those games Zvezda overcame a deficit of at least 10 points. That just shows the toughness, character and experience of this team, which Zvezda has in abundance. So far, it propelled Zvezda into a tie for the fourth-best record in the standings, and going forward those exact traits might just be the key in the final stretch of the regular season. *--* *Igor Petrinovic*

### 10. Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade (11-11); 7, 10

**Previous rankings: Preseason - 9. November - 17. December – 14.**

Partizan has had its share of ups and downs, but it is currently on another surge. This Zeljko Obradovic’s group is on a current run of four wins in the last five games, which has brought the team to a .500 record for the first time since Round 4. Last week’s first-ever back-to-back road wins in a double round by a combined margin of 51 points were particularly impressive. The success has come despite the vast number of injuries that have affected the team, with Carlik Jones, Sterling Brown and Tyrique Jones all stepping up offensively, while Partizan's defense is third-best in the league, allowing 80.2 points per game. *--* *Igor Petrinovic*

### 11. FC Bayern Munich (12-10); 10, 11

**Previous rankings: Preseason - 15. November - 6. December – 7.**

A tale of two teams in one. Bayern has been really solid at home but not so competitive on the road. Some of its players have been really solid all season – Nick Weiler-Babb and Devin Booker in particular. There is some good news, as veteran forward Vladimir Lucic should be back in action very soon. Lucic should allow Carsen Edwards to find even better scoring options, too. Experienced players like Niels Giffey, Johannes Voigtmann and Shabazz Napier know that this is go-time if Bayern wants to be in the playoffs by late April. *--* *Javier Gancedo*

### 12. Zalgiris Kaunas (11-11); 12, 14

**Previous rankings: Preseason - 13. November - 10. December – 9.**

Things have taken a turn for Zalgiris of late, as Andrea Trinchieri’s men have lost five of their last six games to fall out of postseason contention. Zalgiris still has plenty of exciting talent, headlined by Lonnie Walker, Sylvain Francisco and Alen Smailagic, but when its league-best defense falters, its league-worst offense hasn’t responded in recent weeks. Hopes were so high for Zalgiris in the first part of the campaign, the club’s fans will just be hoping the team can return to that level and get back in postseason contention. *--* *Geoff Gillingham*

### 13. Anadolu Efes Istanbul (10-12); 12, 15

**Previous rankings: Preseason - 7. November - 7. December – 6.**

First things first, Efes needs to bounce back from its recent losses and get its first win with coach Luca Banchi. With players like Darius Thompson, Shane Larkin and Elijah Bryant, Coach Banchi's extra-pass offense should work really well once the pressure of winning that first game is off their shoulders. PJ Dozier has arrived to offer size, defense and athleticism. Efes has struggled to get Vincent Poirier involved, but his numbers have improved lately. Efes has all the tools to bounce back: talent, experience, size and depth. Expect them to get better. *--* *Javier Gancedo*

### 14. LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne (10-12); 12, 16

**Previous rankings: Preseason - 16. November - 15. December – 14.**

Theo Maledon has taken the EuroLeague by storm this season, earning December MVP honors for his efforts, and that has helped ASVEL achieve more wins (10) after 22 rounds than it did in all of last season (nine). A special mention for coach Pierric Poupet, too, who has done an excellent job in molding a team that has been more than willing to play the role of party pooper. Since Round 10, ASVEL has gone 8-5 and is currently 13th, but eight of its next nine games are against teams in the Top 10. Rocky seas could be ahead. *--* *Geoff Gillingham*

### 15. Virtus Segafredo Bologna (7-15); 14, 16

**Previous rankings: Preseason - 16. November - 16. December – 15 (tie).**

One man: Dusko Ivanovic. The EuroLeague’s version of a firefighter, the Montenegrin coach has led Virtus to a 5-3 record in his eight games in charge – two of the team’s three road wins this season have come under Coach Ivanovic – and that has helped his squad solidify themselves in 16th. Still five games off the play-in spots, Virtus is unlikely to realistically be playing postseason basketball in mid-April, but with the likes of Toko Shengelia and Isaia Cordinier, as well as Matt Morgan now finding his feet, there is a glimmer of hope. *--* *Geoff Gillingham*

### 16. Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz (9-13); 14, 16

**Previous rankings: Preseason - 11. November - 14. December – 15 (tie).**

Baskonia played a great 80 minutes of basketball last week, but it was enough for only one win – against the reigning champs, Panathinaikos. The problem for Baskonia, however, has been its play away from home, where it has a 2-8 record. The bad news is that seven of Baskonia’s last 12 games the rest of the way will be on the road. The positive news is that Baskonia has won two of its last five games away from home. Chima Moneke sent a message saying “we are going to keep fighting, we are not gonna give up” last week, but the room for mistakes, and letdowns, is getting smaller by each round. *--* *Igor Petrinovic*

### 17. Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv (5-17); 17, 17

**Previous rankings: Preseason - 14. November - 12. December – 17.**

At times it seems like the bottom has fallen out for Maccabi, which is spiraling towards its worst season under the current format. Players have been coming and going all season and injuries haven’t helped the club find consistency. At its best, Maccabi can be quite dangerous; over its last five games, the Israeli champion pounded Zalgiris and took Real Madrid to overtime in the Spanish capital. In the other three of the last five, it’s lost by an average margin of 23 points. Teams will need to beware of Maccabi down the stretch, as a few results could wreak havoc on the playoff race for others. *--* *Frankie Sachs*

### 18. ALBA Berlin (3-19); 18, 18

**Previous rankings: Preseason - 18. November - 18. December – 18.**

Let's face it, ALBA is all but mathematically eliminated from the playoff race and it is hard to stay fully focused under these circumstances. An unprecedented series of injuries did not allow ALBA to find its rhythm: its eight (!) best scorers were out at some point during the opening two months of the competition. With only Justin Bean out and less pressure due to its current situation, players like David McCormack, Matt Thomas, Martin Hermannsson and Gabriele Procida should all do better. ALBA is set to upset some big teams out there. *--* *Javier Gancedo*

The Euroleague.net experts provide their updated power rankings as of Round 22 of the 2024-25 regular season

LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne has signed forward Ben Bentil to fortify its frontcourt, the club announced Tuesday. Bentil has four seasons of Turkish Airlines EuroLeague experience under his belt, and his last season in the competition, in the 2022-23 with Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade, was Bentil’s best when he tallied 8.4 points and 3.8 rebounds in 30 games.

ASVEL lands veteran big man Ben Bentil

[LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/ldlc-asvel-villeurbanne/asv/) has signed forward [Ben Bentil](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/benjamin-bentil/009818/) to fortify its frontcourt, the club announced Tuesday. 

Bentil (2.04 meters, 29 years old) has four seasons of Turkish Airlines EuroLeague experience under his belt. His last season in the competition, the 2022-23 campaign with Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade, was his best as he tallied 8.4 points and 3.8 rebounds in 30 games.

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="fr" dir="ltr">Ben Bentil est Villeurbannais ! ✍️<br><br>Pour solidifier son secteur intérieur, LDLC ASVEL enregistre l’arrivée de Ben Bentil (29 ans, 2m06) ! 🇬🇭 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LDLCASVEL?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LDLCASVEL</a> <a href="https://t.co/FVQBgRPZB9">pic.twitter.com/FVQBgRPZB9</a></p>&mdash; LDLC ASVEL (@LDLCASVEL) <a href="https://twitter.com/LDLCASVEL/status/1881719733084647444?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 21, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Bentil started this season in the BKT EuroCup with Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv, but appeared in only two games. He then moved to Napoli Basket in Italy, where he averaged 14.9 points and 6.3 rebounds in 11 Italian League appearances.

Last season, Bentil spent in Japan with the Gunma Crane Thunder, where he averaged 17.0 points and 5.5 rebounds per game.

Best of Ben Bentil in the EuroLeague

In two seasons with Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens and another each with EA7 Emporio Armani Milan and Crvena Zvezda, Bentil has appeared in 107 EuroLeague games, of which he started 40. In those 107 appearances, he averaged 6.0 points on 37.4% three-point shooting and 2.8 rebounds over 15:35 per game.

Bentil also amassed a slew of trophies with those teams, winning Greek League championships in 2020 and 2021, the Italian League and Cup double in 2022 and the Serbian League and Cup double in 2023.

A native of Ghana, Bentil moved to the United States when he was 15 to play high-school basketball and then played college basketball at Providence College. 

He began his professional career in the G League with the Fort Wayne Mad Ants before played briefly for the Xinjiang Flying Tigers in China and then the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA. He then went on to play for Chalons-Reims in France, Bilbao Basket in Spain, Peristeri in Greece and Bahcesehir Koleji in Türkiye.

More ASVEL News

EA7 Emporio Armani Milan will be without its biggest star and top scorer Nikola Mirotic for at least two weeks, the club announced on Wednesday morning. During an Italian League game over the weekend, “Mirotic suffered an injury to the adductor of his right thigh”, the club wrote in an official statement. The star forward will be re-evaluated in two weeks.

Leg injury sidelines Milan’s Nikola Mirotic

EA7 Emporio Armani Milan will be without its biggest star and top scorer Nikola Mirotic for at least two weeks, the club announced on Wednesday morning. During an Italian League game over the weekend, “Mirotic suffered an injury to the adductor of his right thigh, which will be re-evaluated in two weeks”, the club wrote in an official statement.

Two other Milan players, Zach LeDay and Leandro Bolmaro also suffered injury problems in that domestic league game, but have travelled with the team to Istanbul and are a game-time decision for Milan, which visits Anadolu Efes on Thursday night.

Mirotic ranks fifth in scoring this season (18.3 ppg.) and third in rebounding (6.6 rpg.) this season. The star forward is also eighth in average minutes played (28:32), all team-high numbers.

Milan will have a tough task to find a way to overcome his absence, first in Istanbul, and then at least also a week later at home against the reigning champ Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens.

Former MVP will be re-evaluated in two weeks.

Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens learned another bad injury news, with center Omer Yurtseven suffering a leg injury. Yurtseven got hurt in the Greek League game against arch-rival Olympiacos Pireuas, and it will keep him sidelined six to eight weeks, according to the club.

Panathinaikos loses center Omer Yurtseven to injury

[Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/panathinaikos-aktor-athens/pan/) learned another bad injury news, with center [Omer Yurtseven](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/omer-yurtseven/005353/) suffering a leg injury. Yurtseven got hurt in the Greek League game against archrival Olympiacos Pireuas, and it will keep him sidelined six to eight weeks, according to the club.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Get well soon, <a href="https://twitter.com/omeryurtseven77?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@omeryurtseven77</a>! <br><br>Speedy recovery 💚<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WeTheGreens?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WeTheGreens</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LiveTheGreenMagic?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LiveTheGreenMagic</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Club1908?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Club1908</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OneClubOneApp?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#OneClubOneApp</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/StoiximanGBL?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#StoiximanGBL</a> <a href="https://t.co/6zX0tXOMr0">pic.twitter.com/6zX0tXOMr0</a></p>&mdash; Panathinaikos BC (@Paobcgr) <a href="https://twitter.com/Paobcgr/status/1881463425752268841?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 20, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

It is another major blow for Panathinaikos's frontcourt, after losing all-EuroLeague center Mathias Lessort in Round 17, and with Kostas Antetokounmpo appearing in only three games this season.

In the absence of Lessort, it was Yurtseven who stepped up. Over the last four games, he posted 17.3 points and 7.3 rebounds, which improved his season averages to 8.2 points and 3.8 rebounds.

More Panathinaikos News

The big man has been very productive in the last four games

Here is Episode 13 of EuroLeague & Friends, featuring a selection of nine contributors from each country with a Turkish Airlines EuroLeague team. This week, the lineup included co-hosts Lisa Rasmuschkat from Germany, Shani Blatt from Israel, Asta Zukaite from Lithuania, and Giulia Cicchine from Italy, who tried to teach the others the meaning of the most popular gesture in her country. After that, it was all basketball, touching all the hot topics in the competition.

EuroLeague & Friends Episode 13: It's an Italian thing!

Here is Episode 13 of EuroLeague & Friends, featuring a selection of nine contributors from each country with a Turkish Airlines EuroLeague team. This week, the lineup included co-hosts [Lisa Rasmuschkat](https://www.instagram.com/lisa_ramuschkat/) from Germany, [Shani Blatt](https://www.instagram.com/shaniblatt/) from Israel, [Asta Zukaite](https://www.instagram.com/asta_zukaite/) from Lithuania, and [Giulia Cicchine](https://www.instagram.com/lacicchine/) from Italy, who tried to teach the others the meaning of the most popular gesture in her country. After that, it was all basketball, touching all the hot topics in the competition.

The first discussion was about [Olympiacos Piraeus](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/olympiacos-piraeus/oly/)'s outstanding form and how [Sasha Vezenkov](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/sasha-vezenkov/003469/) is a perfect fit for this competition. They also touched on [FC Barcelona](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/fc-barcelona/bar/) winning with a superstar sitting on the bench, [FC Bayern Munich](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/fc-bayern-munich/mun/) being up and down after a really strong start and how [Vladimir Lucic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/vladimir-lucic/001288/)'s upcoming return can help the team, [Zalgiris Kaunas](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/zalgiris-kaunas/zal/) and head coach [Andrea Trinchieri](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/zalgiris-kaunas/zal/trinchieri-andrea/)'s fit in a basketball-crazy country, and how [Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/partizan-mozzart-bet-belgrade/par/)'s fans welcomed their fans at the airport after a big victory in Milan.

Always with a unique, laid-back perspective, don't miss this latest episode of EuroLeague & Friends. 

Here is Episode 13 of EuroLeague & Friends, featuring a selection of nine contributors from each country with a Turkish Airlines EuroLeague team. This week, the lineup included co-hosts Lisa Rasmuschkat from Germany, Shani Blatt from Israel, Asta Zukaite from Lithuania, and Giulia Cicchine from Italy, who tried to teach the others the meaning of the most popular gesture in her country. After that, it was all basketball, touching all the hot topics in the competition.

The first discussion was about Olympiacos Piraeus's outstanding form and how Sasha Vezenkov is a perfect fit for this competition. They also touched on FC Barcelona winning with a superstar sitting on the bench, FC Bayern Munich being up and down after a really strong start and how Vladimir Lucic's upcoming return can help the team, Zalgiris Kaunas and head coach Andrea Trinchieri's fit in a basketball-crazy country, and how Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade's fans welcomed their fans at the airport after a big victory in Milan.

Always with a unique, laid-back perspective, don't miss this latest episode of EuroLeague & Friends.

Shani Blatt, Asta Zukaite, Giulia Cicchine and Lisa Rasmuschkat discuss all things EuroLeague in a brand-new episode


Co-hosts Frankie Sachs of Euroleague.net and Vasiliki Karamouza of Sport 24 are joined by Arale Weisberg, the head of the basketball desk at Israel's Walla! Sport, for episode number 17 of the EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge Podcast.

The Fantasy Challenge Podcast welcomes Arale Weisberg to discuss unlimited trades

This week is lucky episode number 17 of the EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge Podcast as co-hosts [Frankie Sachs](https://x.com/MrEuroleague) of [Euroleague.net](http://Euroleague.net) and [Vasiliki Karamouza](https://x.com/karamouza_vas) of Sport 24 help prepare fans for Round 23. They are joined by [Arale Weisberg](https://x.com/Aralos10), the head of the basketball desk at Israel's Walla! Sport, to discuss which players you should – and should not – have on your team as you take advantage of unlimited trades ahead of Round 23.

After two sub-par games, will [Kendrick Nunn](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/kendrick-nunn/012774/) return to his usual self at home this week? Can you afford not to have [Sasha Vezenkov](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/sasha-vezenkov/003469/) and [TJ Shorts](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/tj-shorts/012608/)? How long will [Matthew Strazel](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/matthew-strazel/008099/) ride his hot-shooting wave? These questions and many more were debated by the trio of fantasy aficionados ahead of Round 23. Make sure to tune in now and don’t forget to update your fantasy rosters early, because the deadline this week is on Wednesday at 20:30 CET when Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade takes on Paris Basketball. Good luck, fantasy fans!

More EuroLeague Fantasy News

With unlimited trades allowed before Round 23, Frankie and Vasiliki are joined by fantasy expert Arale Weisberg to try to build a winning team