Name: Catch up on Saturday’s NextGen Podcourt
Channel: Euroleague Basketball

### AS Monaco

 

**Streaks**

Mike James has made at least 1 three-point shot in 16 straight games.

James has had 5 or more assists in eight of his last nine games.

James has scored at least 16 points and had PIRs of 19 or more in six of his last seven games.

Matthew Strazel has made at least 1 three-pointer in 10 of his last 11 games.

Alpha Diallo has scored in double figures in seven of his last eight games.

Diallo has made at least 1 three-pointer in five of his last six games.

Georgios Papagiannis has made 15 consecutive free throws.

Jaron Blossomgame has pulled down multiple offensive rebounds in four of his last five games.

 

 

**Season rankings**

Mike James finished the regular season ranked fourth in assists with 5.7 per game.

Georgios Papagiannis was the regular-season leader in blocks with 1.4 per game.

Mike James ranked third in the 2025 EuroLeague Playoffs in PIR with an average of 19.0.

James ranked fifth in the 2025 EuroLeague Playoffs with 2.4 three-pointers made per game.

James was the 2025 EuroLeague Playoffs leader with 6.6 assists per game.

Monaco has committed 10.8 turnovers per game, the second-lowest in the league.

Monaco ranks fourth in scoring with 86.2 points per game.

Monaco ranks fourth in blocks with 2.8 per game.

Monaco has forced a league-high 13.6 turnovers per game.

 

**Records/Milestones**

Mike James is the EuroLeague's all-time leading scorer with 5,259 career points.

James is second all-time with 5,427 index rating points. Nando De Colo of LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne is first with a PIR of 5,473.

James is in second place all-time in free throws made with 1,159. De Colo is the all-time leader with 1,181.

James is in fifth place all-time with 1,518 career assists. Vassilis Spanoulis is fourth with 1,607 assists.

James is tied with Scottie Wilbekin of Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul in fourt place all-time with 608 three-pointers made. Sergio Rodriguez is third with 609 three-pointers.

James is fourth all-time in two-point shots made with 1,138. Georgios Printezis is third with 1,194.

James is in seventh place all-time with 333 career steals. Theo Papaloukas is sixth with 335 career steals.

Nick Calathes is the EuroLeague’s all-time leader in assists with 2,133.

Calathes set the EuroLeague single-season assists record in 2018-19 with 286.

Calathes is the EuroLeague’s all-time leader in steals with 460.

Calathes ranks second all-time in games started with 318, behind only Kostas Papanikolaou, who has 339 and counting.

Calathes ranks eighth all-time with a 2.6-to-1 career assist-to-turnover ratio.

Calathes is ninth all-time with 4,297 performance index rating points. Kyle Hines is in eighth place all-time with 4,299 performance index rating points.

Calathes is ranked 16th all-time in scoring with 3,284 points. Kyle Hines is 15th with 3,339 points.

Calathes is in 11th place all-time with 1,010 two-pointers made. Paulius Jankunas is 10th with 1,011.

Georgios Papagiannis is ranked fourth all-time with 253 blocks. Kyle Hines is third with 320 blocks.

Papagiannis ranks 17th all-time in two-point accuracy at 64.4%.

Donatas Motiejunas set the EuroLeague single-game record with 18 defensive rebounds on December 7, 2011, while playing for Asseco Prokom Gdynia against Union Olimpija Ljubljana. In that game, Motiejunas pulled down 21 rebounds, the most rebounds in a single game by any active player.

Nick Calathes ranks fifth in Final Fours this century in assists with 51. Theo Papaloukas is fourth with 59 assists.

Calathes is tied with Ante Tomic and Sasha Vezenkov for 15th place in Final Fours this century with 32 defensive rebounds. Rudy Fernandez is in 14th place with 36 defensive rebounds.

Calathes is tied with Felipe Reyes for 18th place in Final Fours this century with 44 rebounds. Dimitris Diamantidis and Trajan Langdon are tied for 16th with 45 rebounds apiece.

Calathes is tied with Shaquielle McKissic in 12th place in Final Fours this century with 12 steals. Mike Batiste, Kyle Hines and Nikola Mirotic are all tied for ninth place with 13 steals apiece.

Calathes has 9 starts in Final Four games this century, which is tied for 13th. Seven players are tied for sixth with 10 games started each.

Game Videos

### Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul

 

**Streaks**

Nigel Hayes-Davis has made at least 1 triple in 43 straight games.

Hayes-Davis has posted a PIR of 10 or more in 11 straight games.

Hayes-Davis has scored 14 or more points in seven of his last eight games.

Hayes-Davis had at least 1 steal in five of his last six games.

Hayes-Davis has made 12 consecutive free throws.

Wade Baldwin has posted a PIR in double figures in eight straight games.

Baldwin has scored 10 or more points in six of his last seven games.

Bonzie Colson has made at least 1 three-pointer in seven of his last eight games.

Tarik Biberovic has made at least 1 three-pointer in six straight and eight of his last nine games.

Biberovic has scored in double figures and had a double-digit PIR in five straight games.

Dyshawn Pierre has made 9 consecutive free throws.

 

**Season rankings**

Nigel Hayes-Davis finished the regular season ranked ninth in average index rating with 17.8 per game.

Hayes-Davis finished the regular season ranked eighth in scoring with 16.8 points per game.

Hayes-Davis finished the regular season ranked eighth in steals with 1.1 per game.

Hayes-Davis finished the regular season tied for sixth in three-pointers made with 2.5 per game.

Nigel Hayes-Davis ranked second in the 2025 EuroLeague Playoffs with 21.7 average PIR.

Tarik Biberovic ranked first in the 2025 EuroLeague Playoffs with 3.7 three-pointers made per game.

Fenerbahce ranks third in free-throw shooting at 81.8%.

Fenerbahce ranks third in rebounding with 35.6 per game.

Fenerbahce ranks third in offensive rebounding with 11.7 per game.

Fenerbahce ranks second with 11.3 three-pointers made per game.

Fenerbahce has held opponents to 9.9 offensive rebounds, which is the second-lowest in the league.

Fenerbahce has allowed 80.9 points per game, which is the third-fewest in the league.

 

**Records/Milestones**

Nigel Hayes-Davis set the EuroLeague single-game scoring record with 50 points in a victory over ALBA Berlin in Round 32 last season.

Nicolo Melli is in sixth place all-time in rebounds with 1,643. Jan Vesely of FC Barcelona is fifth with 1,780.

Melli is in second place all-time in defensive rebounds with 1,226. Paulius Jankunas is the all-time leader with 1,453 defensive rebounds.

Melli is in 15th place all-time with 162 career blocks. Mirza Begic is 14th with 163 blocks.

Scottie Wilbekin is tied with Mike James in fourth place all-time with 608 three-pointers made. Sergio Rodriguez is third with 609.

Marko Guduric ranks 20th all-time with 385 three-pointers made. Gianluca Basile is 19th with 421.

Wilbekin is in 14th place all-time with 282 steals. Melli is 13th with 286. Kyle Hines is 12th all-time with 287 career steals.

Wilbekin needs 16 rebounds to reach 500 for his career.

Melli needs 24 points to reach 2,500 for his career.

Sertac Sanli needs 7 rebounds to reach 500 for his career.

Devon Hall needs 2 rebounds to reach 300 for his career.

Sertac Sanli is tied for 19th place in Final Fours this century with 5 blocks.

Game News

Title glory will be up for grabs as Fenerbahce chases a second EuroLeague title against a Monaco team which is appearing in the championship game for the first time.

Game Facts: Monaco vs. Fenerbahce

AS Monaco v Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul (2025-05-25T17:00:00.000Z)

Euroleague Basketball has announced the following disciplinary decisions pertaining to incidents that occurred in the 2025 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four Semifinals.

Latest disciplinary decisions

Euroleague Basketball has announced the following disciplinary decisions pertaining to incidents that occurred in the 2025 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four Semifinals.

- Olympiacos Piraeus has been sanctioned with a fine of €10,000, for the offensive chants by its fans, under Article 29.2.f) of the Euroleague Basketball Disciplinary Code.
- Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens has been sanctioned with a fine of €7,000, for the offensive chants by its fans, under Article 29.2.f) of the Euroleague Basketball Disciplinary Code.
- Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul has been sanctioned with a fine of €5,000, for the offensive chants by its fans, under Article 29.2.f) of the Euroleague Basketball Disciplinary Code.
- Ergin Ataman, head coach of Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens, has been sanctioned with a fine of €10,000 for the undertaking of actions that cause the abnormal interruption of a game under Article 27.2.a) of the Euroleague Basketball Disciplinary Code. 
- Mr. Dimitris Giannakopoulos, majority shareholder of Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens, has been sanctioned with a 5-game suspension to attend Euroleague Basket games and a fine of €10,000 for his threatening actions against the Euroleague Basketball referees under Article 27.1.c) of the Euroleague Basketball Disciplinary Code.

\- Olympiacos held off Panathinaikos 89-94 in Round 8, and 78-76 in Round 29, making it eight straight wins in EuroLeague games against the Greens.

 

\- This season these two archrivals have met four times outside the EuroLeague. Panathinaikos beat Olympiacos in the Greek Cup finals in February and the Greens swept Olympiacos in their two Greek League meetings. Meanwhile, Olympiacos beat Panathinaikos in the Greek Super Cup in September.

 

\- Alec Peters earned MVP of the Round honors in Olympiacos's 78-88 overtime road win over Panathinaikos in Round 1 last season, posting a career-high PIR of 31. He also had a career-best 4 steals in that game.

 

\- Thomas Walkup had career highs in PIR (32) and assists (13), along with 11 points, 7 rebounds and 4 steals, in Olympiacos's 81-73 home win over Panathinaikos in March 2023. Walkup earned MVP of the Round honors for that performance.

 

\- Olympiacos has won the last five times it visited Panathinaikos in EuroLeague games. Meanwhile, the last time Panathinaikos won in Piraeus was in February 2021.

 

\- Panathinaikos and Olympiacos met in the 1994 EuroLeague semifinals in Tel Aviv, Israel, which was their first showdown in European competition. The Reds won 77-72 behind Zarko Paspalj's 22 points.

 

\- Panathinaikos and Olympiacos returned to the Final Four in 1995 and squared off in the semifinals in Zaragoza, Spain. Olympiacos prevailed again, defeating Panathinaikos 52-58 behind 27 points from Eddie Johnson.

 

\- Olympiacos swept Panathinaikos in the 1997 EuroLeague Playoffs in a best-of-three series before later going on to win the EuroLeague title.

 

\- Panathinaikos and Olympiacos played each other in the 2009 EuroLeague Semifinals in Berlin, Germany. In a game that came down to the final shot, Panathinaikos edged Olympiacos 82-84 behind 20 points from Nikola Pekovic.

 

\- Tyrese Rice set a Panathinaikos record with 41 points when the Greens beat Olympiacos 99-93 in overtime at home in December 2019.

 

\- Panathinaikos guard Kostas Sloukas arrived from archrival Olympiacos in the summer of 2023 after spending three years with the Reds, during which he helped the team to back-to-back Final Four appearances, including the 2023 championship game. That was his second stint with Olympiacos. During the first, Sloukas helped Olympiacos win EuroLeague crowns in 2012 and 2013. Sloukas spent five seasons in Piraeus during his first stint with the club, with which he made his debut as a teenager in 2009. He won those titles with one current Olympiacos player: Kostas Papanikolaou.

 

\- Panathinaikos forward Ioannis Papapetrou spent five seasons with Olympiacos, his first professional team, from 2013 to 2018. He played in 114 EuroLeague games for the Reds and reached the EuroLeague Championship Game in 2015 and 2017. He was a teammate of Kostas Papanikolaou and also played under Olympiacos head coach Georgios Bartzokas for one season.

 

\- Olympiacos's Kostas Papanikolaou, Thomas Walkup and Giannoulis Larentzakis have been teammates of Panathinaikos trio Ioannis Papapetrou, Konstantinos Mitoglou and Dimitris Moraitis on the Greek national team.

 

\- Sloukas and Panagiotis Kalaitzakis have also been teammates on the Greek national team with Papanikolaou and Larentzakis.

 

\- Walkup and Panathinaikos guard Marius Grigonis were backcourt mates at Zalgiris Kaunas for three seasons, from 2018 to 2021.

 

\- Olympiacos center Nikola Milutinov and Grigonis were teammates at CSKA Moscow during the 2021- 2022 season.

 

\- Olympiacos forward Sasha Vezenkov was a teammate of Panathinaikos big man Konstantinos Mitoglou at Aris Thessaloniki during the 2013-14 season.

 

\- Olympiacos forward Alec Peters played under current Panathinaikos head coach Ergin Ataman at Anadolu Efes Istanbul during the 2019-20 season.

 

\- Luca Vildoza played for Panathinaikos last season and helped it win the 2024 EuroLeague crown.

 

\- Vildoza made a career-high 5 three-pointers while playing for Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz against Panathinaikos in November 2020.

 

\- Olympiacos guard Evan Fournier and Panathinaikos center Mathias Lessort have been teammates on the French national team. They won the silver medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics together.

 

\- Olympiacos center Moustapha Fall has also been a teammate of Panathinaikos center Mathias Lessort on the French national team.

 

\- Nikola Milutinov had 18 points, 18 rebounds and a career-high PIR of 41 to earn weekly MVP honors in a 79-65 win over Panathinaikos in January 2019.

 

\- Sloukas had a career-high 4 steals while playing for Fenerbahce against Olympiacos in January 2020.

 

\- Panathinaikos forward Konstantinos Mitoglou tied his career high with 16 rebounds and set his career high with 14 defensive rebounds in a road loss against Olympiacos in March of last season.

 

\- Olympiacos guard Thomas Walkup made a career-best 5 three-pointers in a 78-88 overtime road win over Panathinaikos in October 2023.

 

\- Olympiacos guard Keenan Evans earned MVP of the Round honors while playing for Zalgiris Kaunas against Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens in February 2024.  He finished the game with 24 points on 5-of-6 two-pointers, 4-of-5 three-pointers and 2-of-2 free throws. Evans added 3 rebounds, 5 assists, a career-high 5 steals to amass a PIR of 35.

 

\- Panathinaikos point guard Lorenzo Brown made a career-high 11 two-pointers while playing for Crvena Zvezda Belgrade against Olympiacos in December 2019.

 

\- Olympiacos guard Tyler Dorsey posted his career highs in assists (7) and steals (4) while playing for Maccabi Tel Aviv against Panathinaikos in December 2019.

 

\- Olympiacos guard Shaquielle McKissic had a career-best 6 assists in a win over Panathinaikos in March 2022.

The consolation prize of third place will be contested with perhaps more intensity than usual as the day begins with a Greek derby between eternal rivals Panathinaikos and Olympiacos.

Game Notes: Olympiacos vs. Panathinaikos

Olympiacos Piraeus v Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens (2025-05-25T14:00:00.000Z)

\- This is a rematch of last year's playoff series which saw Fenerbahce make history by becoming the first-ever team to win Game 5 on the road, triumphing 79-80 after overtime.

 

\- Monaco swept Fenerbahce in the regular season, including a 69-99 win in Istanbul. It was Fenerbahce’s fourth-highest home losing margin in EuroLeague history.

 

\- Fenerbahce's Nigel Hayes-Davis had 19 points and earned MVP of the Round honors with a PIR of 23 when Fenerbahce pulled out a 91-95 overtime road win over Monaco in Game 1 of the 2024 playoffs.

 

\- Fenerbahce and Monaco never played an official game before the 2021-22 season.

 

\- Monaco's Nick Calathes and Georgios Papagiannis arrived from Fenerbahce this past summer. Calathes spent the last two seasons there and Papagiannis played with Fenerbahce last season.

 

\- Calathes played under Fenerbahce head coach Sarunas Jasikevicius not only last season at Fenerbahce but also for two seasons at FC Barcelona, from 2020 to 2022.

 

\- Head coaches Vasilis Spanoulis and Sarunas Jasikevicius were teammates at Panathinaikos Athens, where they won the 2009 EuroLeague title together.

 

\- Fenerbahce forward Bonzie Colson earned co-MVP of the Round honors with a PIR of 34 while playing for Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv in a 93-83 win over Monaco in January 2024.

 

\- Fenerbahce's Nigel Hayes-Davis tied his career high in two-pointers made with 9 in a home loss against Monaco in Round 15.

 

\- Alpha Diallo scored a career-high 24 points in Monaco's home 92-78 win over Fenerbahce in February 2022.

 

\- Tarik Biberovic posted a career-high 8 rebounds in a home loss against Monaco in Game 4 of last season's playoffs.

 

\- Wade Baldwin tied his personal best with 8 rebounds while playing for Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv against Monaco in a Game 3 loss in the 2023 EuroLeague Playoffs.

 

\- Mike James has made a career-best 6 triples twice in his career against Fenerbahce; first for AX Armani Exchange Milan in December 2018 and then for CSKA Moscow in November 2019.

 

\- James dropped 31 points on Fenerbahce in November 2019 while playing for CSKA Moscow in an 88-70 win. James's scoring total saw him hit a career-best 6-of-8 three-pointers and 9-of-9 free throws as he accumulated a performance index rating of 38. He earned MVP of the Round honors for his performance.

 

\- Scottie Wilbekin set career highs in points (37) and PIR (37) while playing for Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv against Monaco in November 2021. He won MVP of the Round honors for that performance in a 95-84 win.

Game Notes: Monaco vs. Olympiacos

U18 Overtime Elite ended the 2024-25 Adidas NextGen EuroLeague Finals in style by thrashing Group B leader U18 Zalgiris Kaunas 89-113 on Saturday. The American side pulled away midway through the first quarter and never looked back. Zalgiris had already clinched top spot and qualification for Sunday’s Championship Game, while OTE recorded its first win in the tournament.

Kohl Rosario paced OTE with 30 points, having gone 6-for-6 from beyond the arc. Adam Oumiddoch bagged 19 points, Collin Paul had 16, Taylen Kinney netted 12 and Kevin Savage III added 11.

For Zalgiris, Majus Bulanovas scored 17, Maksim Brnovic recorded 15 and Ignas Stombergas completed a double-double of 13 points and 10 rebounds, with Nojus Mistautas netting 11.

A tight affair in the opening stages quickly turned into a dominant display by OTE, which outscored Zalgiris 11-25 in the first quarter. The Americans continued demonstrating their offensive prowess in the second, with Rosario finishing the first half on 20 points, having gone 5-for-5 from deep, for a 35-59 lead. Unwilling to take its foot off the gas in the second half, OTE reached the 100-point mark with 6 minutes left on the clock, grabbing a comfortable win.

The American side led from start to finish, ending the group stage in style

Overtime Elite blows past Zalgiris, 89-113

U18 Zalgiris Kaunas v U18 Overtime Elite (2025-05-24T12:45:00.000Z)

Third-Place Game: Pregame quotes

### Third-place Game: Olympiacos Piraeus vs. Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens (16:00 CEST)

**Georgios Bartzokas, Olympiacos Piraeus head coach**

"I cannot hide from anybody. This game is a game nobody wants to play. We will try to play with the player who are more fresh because we have a challenge ahead of us in the domestic league, we play on Friday against Panathinaikos and that is really important. I don’t know how in one day you can overcome this kind of situation we face right now. It is not easy for human beings, even if they are professionals at this level. But we will do our best."

**Nikola Milutinov, Olympiacos Piraeus center**

"Everything went wrong \[in the semifinals\]. We shot with bad percentages, we had turnovers, we did not have a lot of assists. But we have to give credit to Monaco, they were playing great defense. Without them playing that type of defense we would have probably done \[many things\] better. Our bad night, their good night, congrats to them. We cannot stay in the past, we have to look ahead. It is hard because some players have some issues, some players might be rested tomorrow. But, to be honest, the most important thing is to finish the \[third-place\] game healthy and to get ready for Friday. The big goal is the Greek League, we know how much that means to the fans."

**Alec Peters, Olympiacos Piraeus forward**

"Everything went wrong. Everybody who watches basketball knows what happens. It’s exactly how Olympiacos doesn’t want to play basketball. How we played the whole season, to come out and have a performance like that in the semifinal leaves a pit in your stomach. We are going to play Panathinaikos a lot in the next couple of week, so hopefully we are going to try to set the tone tomorrow, and get a feel for it. But anytime you are on this stage, you have to remember how blessed you are to have this opportunities and be in these cool places and do these things. Hopefully we wake up tomorrow with a mindset of getting back to the routine of playing."

**Cedi Osman, Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens forward**

"It is not easy to recover and to play for the third and fourth place. But, we have to. So, we will play to win. But five days later we will have an important Greek League finals game against Olympiacos, so we also have to think about what is ahead for us."

Check out what the Final Four stars said during media availability at Etihad Arena on Saturday

The All-25 EuroLeague Team was honored with an on-court ceremony on Friday during the two semifinal games at the 2025 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four.

All-25 EuroLeague team honored at 2025 Final Four

The All-25 EuroLeague Team was honored with an on-court ceremony on Friday during the two semifinal games at the 2025 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four.

It was the biggest celebration of a very special season, marking 25 years of Europe's premier basketball competition. Most of the legends that made it to the All-25 team were greeted by Euroleague Basketball CEO Paulius Motiejunas with a special gift: a personalized basketball-shaped trophy which could be opened to find a personalized plate and a unique All-25 Panini card with each person's name. Only 25 of these All-25 Panini cards have been made, making them even more special.

The players were introduced in alphabetical order, and fans had the chance to cheer for some of their team's biggest legends. Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul fans had a chance to salute [Bogdan Bogdanovic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/bogdan-bogdanovic/002821/). Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens supporters cheered for [Dimitris Diamantidis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/diamantidis-dimitris/jko/), [Mike Batiste](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/mike-batiste/ajv/) and Euroleague Basketball president [Dejan Bodiroga](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/dejan-bodiroga/apn/). Olympiacos fans erupted in joy when [Georgios Printezis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/georgios-printezis/amm/), the hero of its 2012 EuroLeague championship, stepped on the court.

The selection process combined the votes of EuroLeague head coaches who had won a championship, past All-Decade Team members and MVPs, media representatives and fans. The coaches and playing greats each made up 40% of the final vote, and the media and fans were 10% each. 

Mike Batiste, Dejan Bodiroga, Bogdan Bogdanovic, [Nando De Colo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/nando-de-colo/002100/), Dimitris Diamantidis, [Luka Doncic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/luka-doncic/005929/), [Rudy Fernandez](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/rudy-fernandez/bmt/), [Manu Ginobili](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/emanuel-ginobili/akx/), [Kyle Hines](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/kyle-hines/002812/), [Mike James](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/mike-james/005985/), [Saras Jasikevicius](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/saras-jasikevicius/adg/), [Shane Larkin](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/shane-larkin/007200/), [Sergio Llull](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/sergio-llull/tgb/), [Vasilije Micic,](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/vasilije-micic/002580/) [Juan Carlos Navarro](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/navarro-juan-carlos/adi/), [Theo Papaloukas](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/theodoros-papaloukas/atw/), [Anthony Parker](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/anthony-parker/aow/), Georgios Printezis, [Sergio Rodriguez](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/rodriguez-sergio/cvm/), [Kostas Sloukas](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/kostas-sloukas/001926/), [Vassilis Spanoulis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/vassilis-spanoulis/juo/), [Ramunas Siskauskas](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/ramunas-siskauskas/jmm/), [Walter Tavares](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/walter-tavares/005791/), [Milos Teodosic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/milos-teodosic/jdr/) and [Nikola Vujcic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/nikola-vujcic/apb/) were the chosen players.

All of them together combine for 57 EuroLeague titles, as well as 18 Finals and Final Four MVP awards. Congratulations!

The biggest legends in Turkish Airlines EuroLeague history were present in an on-court ceremony

U18 Real Madrid finished second in Group B by beating U18 Pole France INSEP 67-66 in their last duel of the 2024-25 Adidas NextGen EuroLeague Finals on Saturday. A tight contest with several lead changes and a few runs went down to the wire, with Los Blancos securing the win. The Spanish side improved its record to 2-1 and INSEP dropped to 1-2 in a group where U18 Zalgiris Kaunas has already secured top spot.

Sidi Gueye and Maximo Garcia-Plata scored 16 each, with Adrians Andzevs netting 12 for Los Blancos. Hugo Yimga paced INSEP with 20 points and Moukouri Yannis Allard added 12.

A back-and-forth first quarter saw Real Madrid take a 17-16 edge after 10 minutes, with Gueye scoring 11 of his team’s points. Then, an 8-2 run allowed Los Blancos to grab a 31-26 lead midway through the second, but INSEP bounced back, cutting the difference to 34-32 at halftime.

The tug of war continued into the third quarter, but a 0-12 surge gave INSEP a double-digit advantage before taking a 46-55 cushion into the last quarter. Real Madrid opened the fourth with a 9-0 run that tied things up. The game turned into a free-throw contest deep in crunch time, with Javier Juarez’s side edging past INSEP.

Los Blancos came out victorious from a tight contest

Real Madrid fights off INSEP, 67-66

U18 Real Madrid v U18 Pole France INSEP Paris (2025-05-24T10:30:00.000Z)

The 2025 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Championship Game Press Conference was at times serious and at times funny, with the participants showing that they are focused on the task at hand. Coach Sarunas Jasikevicius and Tarik Biberovic represented Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul and coach Vassilis Spanoulis and Alpha Diallo spoke for AS Monaco. 

Highlights from the Championship Game Press Conference

The 2025 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Championship Game Press Conference was at times serious and at times funny, with the participants showing that they are focused on the task at hand. Coach [Sarunas Jasikevicius](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/fenerbahce-beko-istanbul/ulk/jasikevicius-saras/) and [Tarik Biberovic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/tarik-biberovic/006961/) represented [Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/fenerbahce-beko-istanbul/ulk/) and coach [Vassilis Spanoulis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/as-monaco/mco/spanoulis-vassilis/) and [Alpha Diallo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/alpha-diallo/011226/) spoke for [AS Monaco](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/as-monaco/mco/). 

There were several questions about the fact that Jasikevicius and Spanoulis were teammates and won a championship under the great Zeljko Obradovic at Panathinaikos Athens. Jasikevicius revealed that among all his basketball dreams, he "never would imagine me and Billy sitting in a press conference room before a EuroLeague final." Jasikevicius later added that Spanoulis told him before the semifinal: "Malaka, you know what’s the worst, we don’t have the ball." 

Spanoulis complimented his former teammate by saying: "Saras is a winner, a competitor, has a great mind for basketball, as a player and a coach. I have huge respect for him. He is my friend." He also revealed a little of his coaching outlook when he said: "When I started to coach, I said that I cannot treat the players like I treated myself, because I don’t know how much they can suffer." 

Biberovic was asked, among other things, about his great stretch recently and answered: "We work all our lives for chances like this… You never know when it is going to come, you just have to stay ready. I am grateful that my best basketball is in the most crucial parts of my career."

Diallo credited Coach Spanoulis with getting him and the team to where they are now. "If I had to pick a point where things shifted, it was when coach came in… To have a coach who knows what it takes to get to the top is important… Our coaches do a great job of trying to put me in spots to help our team win."

The entire 40-minute press conference [can be seen on the EuroLeague's YouTube channel](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZIykQSK9DcA).

Both coaches and one player from each of the finalist teams looked ahead to the big game

U18 FC Barcelona defeated U18 Mega Super Belgrade 87-82 in their last game of 2024-25 Adidas NextGen EuroLeague Finals on Saturday. Carlos Marin’s side led throughout the game, effectively absorbing Mega’s comeback attempts in the last two quarters. Barcelona finished second in Group A with a 2-1 record, while Mega ended bottom of the standings after losing all its three games.

Abdrahamane Kone paced Barcelona with 14 points, Daniel Gonzalez scored 13 and Arturas Butajevas netted 12. Lluc Pluvinet and Sayon Keita had 11 points each, with Mohamed Keita and Mohamed Dabone bagging 10 apiece.

Mega guard Ognjen Srzentic led all scorers with 25 points, Nikola Karalic recorded 16, Pavle Backo registered 13, Vukasin Musikic had 11 and Vuk Danilovic added 10.

The Catalan side opened the game with a 12-2 run, establishing a double-digit lead that they maintained until the end of the first quarter, taking a 29-19 lead into the second. Srzentic kept Mega in the game, but Kone dominated inside, taking his tally to 10 points, as Barcelona secured a 49-39 cushion at halftime.

Karalic stepped up in the third quarter, helping Mega trim the deficit to 55-51. What followed was an exchange of blows, with Barcelona taking a 68-62 lead into the closing quarter. The Blaugrana started the fourth with an 8-1 spurt that restored a double-figure cushion. Mega fought back with a 1-12 run in the closing stages, but it wasn’t enough to turn the game around.

Seven Barcelona players scored in double digits

Barcelona downs Mega, 87-82

U18 FC Barcelona v U18 Mega Super  Belgrade (2025-05-24T08:15:00.000Z)

Dane Arlauckas, Shani Blatt and David Hein welcome Nando De Colo and some other All-25 EuroLeague legends to the Podcourt NextGen EuroLeague for the adidas NextGen EuroLeague game between U18 Real Madrid and U18 Pole France INSEP Paris.

Join the NextGen Podcourt for U18 Real Madrid vs. U18 INSEP

Dane Arlauckas, Shani Blatt and David Hein welcome Nando De Colo and some other All-25 EuroLeague legends to the Podcourt NextGen EuroLeague for the adidas NextGen EuroLeague game between U18 Real Madrid and U18 Pole France INSEP Paris, then U18 Zalgiris Kaunas versus U18 Overtime Elite before a talk with coaches.

Catch up on Saturday’s NextGen Podcourt

Catch up on Saturday’s NextGen PodCourt

Championship Game press conference is live now

Top 5 Plays | Semifinals | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

U18 EA7 Emporio Armani Milan has progressed to the 2024-25 Adidas NextGen EuroLeague Finals Championship Game by outlasting U18 Dubai Basketball 84-86 on Saturday. In a back-and-forth affair that featured numerous lead changes, Milan managed to stay composed in the closing stages, becoming the third Italian team to reach the final of the competition after Montepaschi Siena in 2004 and Stellazzurra in 2018. Michele Catalani’s side won all their three games in Group A, with Dubai finishing on a 1-2 record. Now, Milan has the opportunity to become the first ever Italian side to win the competition.

Luigi Suigo recorded a double-double of 18 points and 12 rebounds for a PIR of 30. Diego Garavaglia paired his 18 points with 10 boards, Achille Lonati scored 17 and Omar Karem added 11.

Andy Huelves paced Dubai with 20 points and Tomislav Vuckovic netted 18. Simon Gradin completed a double-double of 16 points and 12 rebounds, with Bacary Doucoure bagging 11 points.

Emmanouil Manolopoulos scored the first 5 points of the game, but Lonati netted half of his team’s points for a 10-12 lead. The exchange of blows continued throughout a high-scoring first quarter, which ended with the game tied up at 25-25. Suigo stepped up in the second, taking his tally to double digits, with Milan securing a 45-48 cushion at halftime.

The momentum shifted in the third quarter, with Dubai bouncing back for a 64-56 lead. Milan responded with a 2-7 run, but Dubai maintained a 69-65 advantage heading into the closing quarter. Garavaglia scored 9 of his team’s first 11 points of the fourth, putting the Italian side back in front, 72-76. The game turned into a thriller in crunch time, when Suigo dominated inside on both ends to seal the outcome.

Michele Catalani’s side will have the opportunity to become the first Italian team to ever win the competition

Milan edges Dubai, 84-86, clinches Championship Game spot

U18 Dubai Basketball v U18 EA7 Emporio Armani Milan (2025-05-24T06:00:00.000Z)

The adidas NextGen EuroLeague Finals continues on Saturday with action from Round 3, the last day before the NextGen EuroLeague Championship Game. U18 EA7 Emporio Armani Milan and U18 Zalgiris Kaunas are the only remaining unbeaten teams, with both topping their respective groups with a 2-0 record.

Catch Day 3 of the NextGen Finals in Abu Dhabi

Adidas NextGen EuroLeague Finals Round 3 | Final Four Abu Dhabi

AS Monaco relied on an extraordinary Jaron Blossomgame, who had a major contribution in holding Sasha Vezenkov below double digits in scoring (7 points) for the first time this season, to win their semifinal at the Final Four in Abu Dhabi

Monaco’s defensive intensity extinguished Olympiacos’s ball circulation

Heading into Friday’s semifinal against [Olympiacos Piraeus](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/olympiacos-piraeus/roster/oly/?season=2024-25), [AS Monaco](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/teams/as-monaco/roster/mco/?season=2024-25) was aware that it needed to force the Reds out of their comfort zone. The key to the win would be preventing Olympiacos from playing its free-flowing, altruistic basketball based on sharing the ball to find open looks.

Coach Georgios Bartzokas’s side came into the clash against Vassilis Spanoulis’s Monaco boasting a league-high 20.9 assists per game. Yet, Spanoulis had prepared a masterplan that his team’s defense executed to perfection, limiting his former team to a season-low 10 dishes.

Monaco forced Olympiacos to an unfamiliar isolation game, taking out all its weapons on offense by disturbing its ball circulation.

“We wanted to make them feel like an on-ball team tonight,” [Daniel Theis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/daniel-theis/004132/) explained on the EuroLeague post-game show. “We wanted to make them beat us one-on-one. They are an incredible team when they’re moving the ball. They’ve got so much talent. But we wanted to get that away from them, make them play one-on-one and iso. That’s what we did tonight and that was the result.”

A compilation of Monaco's steals against Olympiacos

To do so, Monaco relied on an extraordinary [Jaron Blossomgame](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/jaron-blossomgame/011231/), who had a major contribution in holding Sasha Vezenkov below double digits in scoring (7 points) for the first time this season.

“I think Jaron Blossomgame didn’t leave [Sasha Vezenkov](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/sasha-vezenkov/003469/)’s side all game,” Theis added. “He took him out of his game. We were ready for his movement. He never stopped moving. He doesn’t like to dribble as much, so whenever he catches the ball \[Blossomgame\] was right there, making him feel uncomfortable all game long. That was a big key to our success today."

Vezenkov barely touched the ball on offense, struggling to find space to execute. Monaco’s defense got under his skin, forcing the MVP candidate to an abysmal 0-for-6 from deep. The Olympiacos forward attempted just 10 field goals, most of which were contested with Monaco piling the pressure on him whenever he tried to find space to receive the ball.

“When we play Monaco basketball, no one can beat us and that’s what we did tonight,” Blossomgame told [EuroLeagueBasketball.net](http://EuroLeagueBasketball.net). “I just want to impact winning. Whatever that is for my team. Whether it’s defense on their best player like tonight or whether that’s scoring or diving for a loose ball. I want to be that guy for us, impacting the game in a lot of ways.”

Monaco recorded 10 steals, forcing the Reds to 14 turnovers on which they capitalized by scoring 19 points off Olympiacos’s errors.

“We are a good defensive team when we’re locked in,” [Mike James](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/mike-james/005985/) stressed after the game. “We’ve got good athletes. We’re physical. We can do a lot of things defensively to disrupt people.”

Monaco’s defensive strategy against Olympiacos worked out well, but a reset might be needed ahead of Sunday's Championship Game against [Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/fenerbahce-beko-istanbul/roster/ulk/?season=2024-25) – a team playing another type of basketball.

“Fener are a totally different team than Olympiacos,” Spanoulis admitted in the post-game press conference. “We have to change the chip in our mind and execute a different game plan.”

Yet, what’s certain is that one aspect of Monaco’s game will remain unchanged. And that is the defensive intensity that they utilized to strangle Olympiacos’s offense on Friday night.

Coach Vassilis Spanoulis’s side held the Reds to a season-low 10 assists

Olympiacos Piraeus v AS Monaco (2025-05-23T18:00:00.000Z)

AS Monaco Basket forward Alpha Diallo led his team in scoring as they reached the EuroLeague Championship Game with a win over Olympiacos BC.

Alpha Diallo did it on both ends to help Monaco get over the hump

[Alpha Diallo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/alpha-diallo/011226/) showed during the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Semifials just why he is such an important player for [AS Monaco](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/as-monaco/mco/).

In [a 68-78 win over Olympiacos Piraeus](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/mike-james-leads-monaco-past-olympiacos-and-into-championship-game-68-78/) that guaranteed Monaco's place in the championship game, the fourth-year forward was absolutely everywhere, finishing with a team-high 22 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists and 1 steal. 

He was almost unstoppable inside the arc, going 10 for 12 on two-pointers, but sometimes numbers can’t fully portray his contribution on the court.

“The coach and all the team ask a lot from \[Diallo\],” [Daniel Theis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/daniel-theis/004132/) said [on the EuroLeague's post-game show](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glZFazBUuuA). “He’s guarding the best player on offense. He’s having more and more responsibilities. We’ve also been asking a lot of him on offense, being aggressive. I think his confidence right now is sky-high.”

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Alpha Diallo was on fire with an incredible 10/12 from the field, showing pure efficiency and control 🔥<br><br>Nick Calathes stepped up when it mattered most and got Monaco’s offense flowing with 21 team assists 🧠<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/F4GLORY?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#F4GLORY</a> <a href="https://t.co/i612anysc6">pic.twitter.com/i612anysc6</a></p>&mdash; Turkish Airlines EuroLeague (@EuroLeague) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague/status/1926011527817048234?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 23, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Diallo set the tone from the off, playing all 10 minutes of the first quarter and scoring 8 of his team’s 17 points. More importantly, he provided his team with an unmatched energy on defense, helping get deflections, diving for loose balls and being the key to Monaco effectively disturbing Olympiacos’s ball circulation.

The Reds smoothly sharing the rock was what inspired their record-setting 27-2 run in the third quarter of the 2023 semifinal between the two teams. Monaco ended up losing that game, but this time they were having none of it as they laid the ghosts of the past to rest.

“We’ve watched that game a lot of times. I certainly did,” Diallo admitted. “Just coming out here and learning from our mistakes. We got over the hump. Olympiacos was a big hump for us in the past seasons.”

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="fr" dir="ltr">♥️ Vous êtes énormes! HISTORIQUES! 🇲🇨<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RocaTeam?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RocaTeam</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/F4GLORY?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#F4GLORY</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DagheMunegu?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DagheMunegu</a> <a href="https://t.co/nmFTsDqwzz">pic.twitter.com/nmFTsDqwzz</a></p>&mdash; AS Monaco Basket 🇲🇨 (@ASMonaco_Basket) <a href="https://twitter.com/ASMonaco_Basket/status/1926010416456503376?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 23, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

This was the fifth game in a row where Diallo recorded a double-digit number in scoring after netting 21, 16, 13 and 11, respectively, in the last four playoff games against FC Barcelona. 

Should he manage to produce a similar display against [Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/fenerbahce-beko-istanbul/ulk/) in Sunday's title decider, Monaco will have nothing to fear.

The 27-year-old forward pulled off a complete performance in the semifinal against Olympiacos

There is no doubt that Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul earned its right to play for the title in Sunday’s 2025 Championship Game, with the Turkish team dominating the opening semifinal against Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens far more than the 82-76 scoreline suggests.

Fenerbahce played with focus and control to dominate semifinal

There is no doubt that [Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/fenerbahce-beko-istanbul/roster/ulk/?season=2024-25) earned its right to play for the title in Sunday’s Championship Game, with the Turkish team dominating the opening semifinal against [Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/teams/panathinaikos-bc-athens/roster/pan/?season=2024-25) far more than [the 82-76 scoreline](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/fenerbahce-downs-panathinaikos-82-76-advances-to-championship-game/) suggests.

The opening possessions saw baskets evenly traded, but when [Bonzie Colson](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/bonzie-colson/009783/)’s three-pointer gave Fenerbahce a 6-5 lead with 7:45 remaining in the first quarter, that was it: no more lead changes, as Coach Sarunas Jasikevicius’s men played with control, focus and impressive efficiency to lead the rest of the way.

Panathinaikos fought hard and came back to a 1-point margin a couple of times, but Fenerbahce never lost its way and pushed ahead by double digits on several occasions – including a 78-68 lead after a three-pointer from [Tarik Biberovic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/tarik-biberovic/006961/) with 33 seconds remaining, effectively sealing the outcome before a late flurry from Panathinaikos made the final margin closer.

A four-time champion and a certified Euroleague Legend as a player, Jasikevicius is not an easy man to please. But even the demanding Fenerbahce coach admitted that he was (mostly) happy with his team’s efforts as he told EuroLeague TV: “Hats off to the players. I didn’t think we played great but it’s not possible to play great at this stage.

“The fighting spirit and heart was there from the beginning. We started taking 50/50 balls, exactly what we didn’t do last year in Berlin in the semifinal against PAO. Like always in these games it became difficult, and we found players who stepped up.”

Post-game interview: Saras Jasikevicius

The game’s numbers tell the tale of Fenerbahce’s all-round dominance. The Turkish team had great offensive balance, making 14 shots from both two and three-point range, dished more assists than Panathinaikos (17-10), won the rebounding battle 33-29 including 10 at the offensive end, committed fewer turnovers (9 against 12) and blocked 4 shots against just 1 from the Greens.

The impressive composure shown by the men from Istanbul was evident throughout the roster, with the strong collective effort allowing the team to comfortably withstand quiet nights from usual offensive leaders [Nigel Hayes-Davis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/nigel-hayes-davis/008962/) (7 points) and [Marko Guduric](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/marko-guduric/004004/) (3 points).

Playing with a team-first ethic is one of the keys to the success of this Fenerbahce team, and [Wade Baldwin](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/wade-baldwin-iv/009863/) – who made a strong personal contribution with 10 points, 5 assists, 5 rebounds and 2 steals – emphasized the importance of that mentality as he said: “You have to take away the egos, you have to give a little bit, you have to sacrifice your pride and a little bit of your game to get guys going.

“I just wanted to take my time, be patient with the game, don’t force anything. Just allow my teammates to play our solid Fenerbahce basketball. We did a great job of that tonight, multiple guys can step up and play well, and that’s what happened.

“It’s good to play our solid basketball and win the way that Fenerbahce wins.”

Another key presence in the backcourt was [Devon Hall](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/devon-hall/011205/), who led his team’s scoring with 18 points on 4-of-6 three-point shooting. Hall underlined his team’s success in taking early control as a 10-0 first-quarter run established a lead that would never be relinquished.

“To start well is important, especially in these games when it’s a one-and-done scenario,” he said. “We trust in each other, and taking care of the ball was a key for us.”

But Hall also sounded a serious note as he sent a reminder that his team’s focus remains intact, saying: “I won’t be celebrating too much, because we’ve still got one more game on Sunday. So rest and recover, and go from there.”

If Fenerbahce can approach the title game with the same attitude and execution it displayed on Friday night, the Turkish team will take some stopping.

Saras Jasikevicius’s men were superior to Panathinaikos throughout Friday’s semifinal

Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul v Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens (2025-05-23T15:00:00.000Z)