Name: AS Monaco-Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul | RS Round 30 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
Channel: Euroleague Basketball

All odds were against Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade, but it held the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague’s second-best offense to just 8 points in the first quarter and a home season-low 73 points after 40 minutes.

Crvena Zvezda overcame frontcourt absences to grab morale-boosting win

All odds were against [Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/crvena-zvezda-meridianbet-belgrade/roster/red/?season=2024-25) on Thursday evening. The Serbian team traveled to Greece without their three bigs, [Joel Bolomboy](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/joel-bolomboy-out-3-6-weeks-with-ankle-sprain/), [Filip Petrusev](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/filip-petrusev/011194/) and [Luka Mitrovic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/luka-mitrovic/002553/), with the former two also being their standout players this season. Zvezda headed into the game on the back of a three-game losing streak against an [Olympiacos Piraeus](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/olympiacos-piraeus/roster/oly/?season=2024-25) side that had won 13 of its previous 14 games.

Yet, when the 10 starters stepped onto the floor, the visitors demonstrated that none of this really mattered. Zvezda held the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague’s second-best offense (87.4 ppg. before Thursday's game) to just 8 points in the first quarter and a home season-low 73 points after 40 minutes.

Ioannis Sfairopoulos was forced to deploy small-ball lineups that stretched the floor and confused Olympiacos. The visitors fired on all cylinders, having gone 13 of 26 from deep and out-Olympiacos’ed the hosts by recording 24 assists on 27 made field goals. More impressively, despite the major frontcourt absences they protected the boards, grabbing 33 rebounds – just 1 fewer than Olympiacos.

Game Videos

“When we come out and are focused for 40 minutes, we can compete with anybody,” [Codi Miller-McIntyre](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/codi-miller-mcintyre/009048/), who bagged a double-double of 15 points and 11 boards, told EuroLeague TV. “We’ve shown that multiple times during the season. We had a bad stretch these last few games, but it’s normal, it’s a long season. Many people probably didn’t believe that we could come out and win that game.”

Miller-McIntyre was not the only Zvezda player to step up big. Despite averaging fewer than 5 points per game in less than 15 minutes on the floor this season, [Rokas Giedraitis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/rokas-giedraitis/006436/) exploded for a season-high 20 points, having gone 6-for-7 from deep in a season-high 32:41 minutes. He also recorded 4 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals in one of his finest displays in a Zvezda jersey.

Rokas Giedraitis made 6 threes against Olympiacos

Game News

Giedraitis was assisted by an almost-perfect [Dejan Davidovac](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/dejan-davidovac/007960/), who went 4-for-6 from the field and 4-for-4 from the line – all 4 free throws netted in the closing stages. Another player who came to the fore was [Isaiah Canaan](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/isaiah-canaan/010612/), who scored 12 second-half points against his former team.

“We played against the best team in Europe so far,” Sfairopoulos said in the post-game press conference. “We had all these problems with the centers. But all the players gave their maximum to cover these absences.”

Three of Zvezda’s last four games, including the next three, are set to be played on home soil. Injury issues may not ease ahead of the upcoming double-round week, but as Miller-McIntyre stressed after that huge win in Greece, a focused Zvezda side can beat anybody.

Sfairopoulos’s men traveled to Greece without Joel Bolomboy, Filip Petrusev and Luka Mitrovic

Olympiacos Piraeus v Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade (2025-03-20T18:00:00.000Z)

AS Monaco-Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul | RS Round 30 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

AS Monaco v Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul (2025-03-20T18:00:00.000Z)

AS Monaco improved to 18-12 in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season and boosted its hopes of a top-four finish after an impressive 91-82 home win over Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul, on the back of a season-high 29 points from pack leader Mike James.

Monaco sinks Fenerbahce, 91-82, powered by Mike James 

AS Monaco improved to 18-12 in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season and boosted its hopes of a top-four finish after an impressive 91-82 home win over Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul, on the back of a season-high 29 points from pack leader Mike James.

Elie Okobo chipped in with 16 points, Daniel Theis racked up 15 points and 7 boards while Jordan Loyd added 13 points for the home team, which prevailed despite losing the battle of the boards 32-41 as it forced 17 turnovers from Fenerbahce.

The visitors, who only managed 12 assists, were paced by Errick McCollum on 24 points, as Marko Guduric netted 15 and Tarik Biberovic scored 10 for the Turkish outfit. The result also means that Fenerbahce dropped to 20-10 and still has work to do to secure an automatic playoff spot.

James hit top gear right from the start, netting 11 first-quarter points as the opening period produced a see-saw battle in which the lead changed hands several times before Fenerbahce nosed ahead 26-28 in a high-scoring start.

In contrast, the second quarter produced a rugged and physical battle with both sides ramping up on defense and making it difficult for each other to get open looks. Still, James hit yet another three and Okobo was outstanding from mid-range as the duo enabled Fenerbahce to lead 47-43 at halftime.

The trend continued in the third as Fenerbahce, driven by the effervescent McCollum, played catchup but Monaco was able to stay ahead in no small part to Theis, whose wealth of experience was everywhere to be seen in his movement and execution of close-range layups. Okobo also sank a pair of tough mid-range jumpers off the dribble, enabling the home team to head into the final 10 minutes 63-58 ahead. 

Monaco pulled away to 67-58 early in the fourth but Fenerbahce refused to lie down and the visiting team was able to close the gap to 76-75 ahead of the home stretch, paving the way for what looked like a dramatic climax in the making. James would have none of that, though, as he sank a pair of clutch triples with Monaco carving out a decisive 85-78 lead in the closing stages.

Fenerbahce fought hard to force a final twist but the writing was on the wall for the Turkish side, which made too many simple mistakes when the chips were down.  

The French side stopped its Turkish rival from sealing a top-six berth with games to spare 

Forrest beats the buzzer! Motorola Magic Moment

Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz v FC Bayern Munich (2025-03-20T19:30:00.000Z)

 Diallo with a clutch dunk! Motorola Magic Moment 

Jimmy Clark we have take-off! Motorola Magic Moment

Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv v Virtus Segafredo Bologna (2025-03-20T19:15:00.000Z)

Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade forward Rokas Giedraitis spoke to EuroLeague TV after his team beat Olympiacos Piraeus in Round 30 of the 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.  

Rokas Giedraitis: 'We fought all game and that was the key'

Olympiacos Piraeus-Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade | RS Round 30 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

Great pass from Pajola! Motorola Magic Moment

Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade put an end to its three-game losing slide by defeating Olympiacos Piraeus 73-81 at Peace and Friendship Stadium on Thursday in Round 30 of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

Center-less Crvena Zvezda stuns Olympiacos, 73-81

Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade put an end to its three-game losing slide by defeating Olympiacos Piraeus 73-81 at Peace and Friendship Stadium on Thursday night. The visitors shared the ball well on offense and looked solid on the other end, leading from start to finish to get back to winning ways. Zvezda improved its record to 17-13, while Olympiacos remains atop the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague table despite dropping to 22-8.

Rokas Giedraitis led all scorers with 20 points, having gone 6-for-7 from deep. Codi Miller-McIntyre recorded a double-double of 15 points and 11 rebounds, with Dejan Davidovac and Isaiah Canaan scoring 13 and 12 points, respectively. Sasha Vezenkov paced Olympiacos with 19 points and Shaquielle McKissic netted 14.

Davidovac got Zvezda going with a three-pointer and Miller-McIntyre added a floater for a 0-5 lead. Moustapha Fall stepped up with a layup that Nemanja Nedovic erased with a fastbreak basket. Davidovac's wide-open layup saw Olympiacos call timeout at 2-9. Miller-McIntyre followed a driving layup with a bomb from downtown and soon added an acrobatic three-point play that boosted the visitors' lead to 2-17, after a 0-12 run. Saben Lee dunked and Nikola Milutinov gave Olympiacos hope at 6-20. Giedraitis knocked down a triple and John Brown drew a charge as Zvezda regained its composure. Evan Fournier's layup made it 8-20 after 10 minutes.

Alec Peters drained the Reds’ first three of the night with the onset of the second quarter. Baskets by Lee and Fournier got the hosts' offense on track, but Zvezda kept making shots and 2 straight triples by Giedraitis set a 17-31 lead. Olympiacos went on a 7-0 run fueled by Vezenkov, but Zvezda responded with a 0-10 surge inspired by Miller-McIntyre, who made it 24-41. After Giannoulis Larentzakis drained a three, Davidovac took his tally to 9 perfect points for a 27-43 lead at halftime.

Olympiacos opened the third quarter with an 8-0 run with all the points scored by team captain Kostas Papanikolaou. Kalinic netted inside on the other end, but Vezenkov nailed a pair of triples to bring Olympiacos within 43-50. Canaan netted a layup against his former team and Kalinic made 3 from the line for a 46-55 cushion. McKissic and Canaan traded triples before slams from the former and Fall slashed the difference to 55-58 heading into the closing quarter.

Yago Dos Santos netted a three before 5 points by Nedovic and two straight triples from Canaan created a 59-72 gap. Brown and McKissic exchanged buckets. A Vezenkov basket slightly trimmed the deficit to 63-74. McKissic netted a layup in transition and Peters scored 6 straight points to bring Olympiacos within 71-77 with a minute left on the clock.  Nedovic stayed ice-cold from the line to finish the game off.

The Serbian side led throughout the game against the league-leader

 Kalinic rejects Fournier! Motorola Magic Moment

Theis with a monster dunk! Motorola Magic Moment

What a block from Blossomgame! Motorola Magic Moment:

Hapoel Tel Aviv star Tomer Ginat spoke to Frankie Sachs of Euroleague.net ahead of the 2025 EuroCup Semifinals.

Tomer Ginat: 'This is where Hapoel Tel Aviv needs to be'

The 20th of June, 2022 was a turning point for [Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/hapoel-shlomo-tel-aviv/hta/). Because that is the day that [Tomer Ginat](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/tomer-ginat/010550/) returned to the club. 

He had already spent four seasons with Hapoel, which Ginat first joined when he was 21 years old, and was twice named to the All-Israeli League First Team before deciding to test himself abroad. 

Ginat helped French side Boulogne Metropolitans 92 reach the EuroCup Quarterfinals twice in as many seasons before rejoining Hapoel. At the time, Hapoel was a sleeping giant that had never played in the EuroCup before. 

Now, falling in the quarterfinals twice more, Hapoel and Ginat are semifinalists for the first time and they head into their best-of-three series against [Valencia Basket](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/valencia-basket/pam/) with confidence, as the 30-year-old told Frankie Sachs of the official EuroCup website.

Best of Tomer Ginat: 2024-25 regular season

**It’s been a very eventful season for Hapoel. Do you feel that the team is entering the semifinals in its best shape?**

"It's been a very long season because we aren't playing home games at home and we are hosting games in Bulgaria. We've had to fly every week. We've been traveling a lot. I think we're reaching the semifinals in great shape. We've won seven straight games in all competitions. We have another league game on Saturday night, but we're heading into the semifinals very determined. Reaching the EuroCup Semifinals is a great achievement for us, and we aren't planning to stop there. We're arriving in good shape and with the team we have and the talent we have, we can do anything."

**Valencia has been the strongest team in the EuroCup this season. What impresses you the most about their game?**

"I think Valencia may be the strongest team in the EuroCup and they proved it all season. They play a very pretty brand of basketball. They play together. They shoot a lot of three-pointers. They've made the most threes in the competition for sure. They play fast, a high pace, and they score a lot of points. We will have to know how to be there to stop that. We have to play at our pace. We all have to be very aggressive on defense, rebound, and play our game."

**There seems to be a belief that pace will be decisive in this series and that if Valencia is able to run, it will be hard for Hapoel to keep up. Do you agree and feel that it will be important for you to slow the game down?**

"Absolutely. I think the pace they play at is very special and it characterizes them. They punish almost every mistake. They have a lot of offensive tools and we will have to slow the game down to play our style and that will be one of the keys to the series."

Tomer Ginat: 'Valencia is a very deep team, but I think we are also a very deep team.'

**Hapoel showed how deep it is in the quarterfinals against Turk Telekom with Oz Blayzer and Guy Palatin – two players not well known outside of Israel – seeing meaningful fourth-quarter minutes. How important is that depth at this part of the season?**

"Valencia is a very deep team, but I think we are also a very deep team. We have a lot of talented players, foreign players and Israelis. Every day we can lean on a different player, and every day a different player can have a meaningful role such as the names you mentioned or any other player. Throughout the season, some have played more and some have played less, but we have a lot of tools and we come to this series with a lot of confidence and our depth is something that I believe will help us. In every game, we have 12 players who can contribute and be the X-factor in a game."

**You have known Yam Madar since he was 17 years old. After playing for three EuroLeague clubs, he returned to Hapoel this season to become a lead guard. In what ways has he grown as a player from his time abroad?**

"I think Yam was an amazing player and with great potential already when he was 17. I played with him, I saw the potential and I knew what could become. The things he did at Partizan, at Fenerbahce, at Bayern Munich were amazing. He learned a lot from great coaches. I think the biggest difference in the Yam that I remember from age 17 to today is in terms of leadership. He is someone who you can always count on, he's never afraid to take the ball at the end of a game, he always wants to be there in the decisive moments and to carry the team with him and he is totally one of our leaders."

**What has it been like playing for coach Dimitris Itoudis?**

"First of all, it's a great honor. Dimitris is one of the best coaches in Europe. To be able to learn from him every day is a great privilege. The things that he demands and the way that he demands them never allow you to rest. He is always there to be critical when necessary, to compliment when necessary. It’s a privilege to learn from such a coach and it's our privilege that he is our coach."

**What has Coach Itoudis brought to your game?**

"From the moment he arrived, he put an emphasis on our defensive game as a team and on my individual defense. Under him, I have learned how much it takes to play for a coach like him and to put more emphasis on the defensive end than on offense. And I think that the way he demands from you to play has caused me to play smarter, better and be more aware." 

Tomer Ginat: 'I returned here because I saw the direction that the club wanted to go in.'

**Three years ago, when you came back from France and turned down an offer from Maccabi in order to return to Hapoel, were you able to imagine the team in the EuroCup Semifinals and fighting for a spot in the EuroLeague?**

"Totally, yes. I returned here because I saw the direction that the club wanted to go in. In the last two seasons, we lost in the quarterfinals in two close games, first at Badalona on the road and last year against Besiktas in a game where we led by a lot and at the end it got away from us. So it closes a circle for the club to finally reach the semifinal after two years where we failed in the quarterfinals. And this is where Hapoel Tel Aviv needs to be. Hapoel Tel Aviv strives for even higher than that and we are doing everything that we can to be there."

**Hapoel has an incredible fan base, which has crisscrossed Europe these past two seasons to support the team. Even though they don’t show up in the same numbers as they would in Tel Aviv, what does their support mean to the team?**

"It’s inconceivable. For 18 weeks, we flew to play almost everywhere in Europe and there was not a single game that we were without a group of our fans. It's a great honor to play for a club that has such a large community standing behind it, supporting it. What we saw in our last game, the quarterfinal game in Bulgaria, was amazing. They created a home-court atmosphere. And as I said, it is a great privilege to play for such a club and it completely helps us and brings energy and desire to make them happy.

"Over the last two years, we've been talking about it quite a bit since the war started on October 7 \[2023\], basketball has taken on a much greater meaning, because our country has been going through something very sad. The Hapoel Tel Aviv community is a community that was very much affected by the October 7 attack. There are a lot of our fans who were killed, who were taken hostage. And now playing basketball to represent this community, this country, is a huge privilege. If we manage to make people who have been through these things happy, then we've done our part, and I hope that we'll be able to do it next week in the semifinals."

**The other semifinal series features two teams you played in the regular season, Dreamland Gran Canaria against Bahcesehir. Who do you expect will win and reach the finals?**

"We are trying to focus on ourselves. The second semifinal is between two excellent teams, that like you said, we played against them. What's most important to us is to do our job. We have a very, very big challenge next week with two games in the series against Valencia. And we will need to be at our best to win this series. I really hope that we will be able to do it, rise to the challenge and reach the finals against whoever it will be, Gran Canaria or Bahcesehir."

The Israeli forward spoke with Frankie Sachs ahead of the EuroCup Semifinals

Valencia Basket v Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv (2025-03-25T19:30:00.000Z)

Euroleague Basketball has announced the following disciplinary decisions pertaining to incidents that occurred in Round 29 of the 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season.

Latest disciplinary decisions

- Mr Ergin Ataman, Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens head coach, has been sanctioned with a fine of €10,000 for comments regarding the officiating performance, in accordance with Article 24.2.c) of the Euroleague Basketball Disciplinary Code.
- Mr. Dimitris Giannakopoulos, the majority shareholder of Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens, has been sanctioned with a fine of €15,000 for statements on social media regarding the officiating performance in accordance with Article 24.2.c) of the Euroleague Basketball Disciplinary Code.
- Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens has been sanctioned with a fine of €7,500 for comments regarding the officiating performance published on the club official website, in accordance with Article 24.2.c) of the Euroleague Basketball Disciplinary Code.
- Mr. Kendrick Nunn, Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens player, has been sanctioned with a fine of €4,500 for a lack of respect towards the opposite team during the game between Olympiacos Piraeus and Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens, under Article 27.2.b) of the Euroleague Basketball Disciplinary Code.

The EuroLeague MVP battle is entering the final stretch, with Sasha Vezenkov, Kendrick Nunn and TJ Shorts the frontrunners to take home the trophy.

2024-25 EuroLeague MVP Ladder by Eurohoops Vol. 4

For some, the latest Derby of the Eternal Rivals between [Olympiacos Piraeus](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/olympiacos-piraeus/oly/) and [Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/panathinaikos-aktor-athens/pan/) also had the character of a “battle to end all battles” in the 2024-25 EuroLeague MVP race between [Sasha Vezenkov](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/sasha-vezenkov/003469/) and [Kendrick Nunn](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/kendrick-nunn/012774/).

To quote [Mario Hezonja](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/mario-hezonja/003108/), though, “This isn’t tennis, it’s basketball, brother”. And, since we are also talking about a single game, even a mighty EuroLeague classic, this is just one piece of the 34-game regular-season complex puzzle.

The fact is that the derby didn’t make us any wiser when it comes to who will lift the regular-season MVP trophy. Vezenkov still seems to hold the upper hand for various different reasons and Nunn is a close second. There’s only one other player with a couple of strong arguments against these two and may challenge them under specific circumstances.

Read more [HERE](https://www.eurohoops.net/en/trademarks/1800177/2024-25-euroleague-mvp-ladder-by-eurohoops-vol-4/).

An important period is coming up in the race to take home the MVP trophy

The 13th installment of AS Monaco versus Fenerbahce Beko in the EuroLeague has all the makings of a blockbuster. 

Monaco vs. Fenerbahce: A playoff rematch with postseason implications

The 13th installment of [AS Monaco](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/as-monaco/mco/) versus [Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/fenerbahce-beko-istanbul/ulk/) in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague has all the makings of a blockbuster.

After their five-game playoff series last year, Thursday night’s meeting will be the latest that they have ever met in the regular season. By taking place so late in the campaign, it is a fixture that could have a big impact on this year’s playoff race.

Fenerbahce confirmed its place in the postseason by [beating LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne last week](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/fenerbahce-seals-postseason-spot-by-downing-asvel-92-82/), so its next goal will be to lock up a top-four finish – and home-court advantage – as soon as possible. Sitting pretty in second place with a 20-9 record, three wins ahead of fifth-placed FC Bayern Munich, the odds are certainly in favor of coach Saras Jasikevicius’s side.

Having gone 10-2 over its last 12 games, Fenerbahce is one of the hottest teams in the EuroLeague and has recently been bolstered by [Wade Baldwin](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/wade-baldwin-iv/009863/)’s return from injury, as well as the mid-season addition of [Errick McCollum](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/errick-mccollum/005216/). Importantly, a victory for the Turkish powerhouse could see it join Olympiacos Piraeus in guaranteeing a top-four finish, so long as one of Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens, Bayern or FC Barcelona suffers defeat in Round 30.

It is a different story for Monaco. Despite being almost certain to secure the tiebreaker in this fixture, having beaten Fenerbahce by 30 in Istanbul back in Round 15, Vassilis Spanoulis’s fourth game in charge, Monaco has stumbled of late by losing three of their last four games. Last time out, [it fell 91-88 to an already-eliminated Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/maccabi-stuns-monaco-91-88-for-third-straight-win/), a result that left a bitter taste in the mouths of many, particularly Spanoulis.

“In this part of the season, to play with this soft mentality is unacceptable,” the Greek play-caller said in the postgame press conference after the loss at Maccabi. “To give up 17 offensive rebounds, we lost 50-50 balls, we missed a couple of big shots at the end.

“We were up 88-82 with 1:40-something on the clock and we couldn’t make one stop, then they went on a 9-0 run. Everybody has to take responsibility and understand the situation. This is not the way I want my team to defend. This is bad defense; we gave up 91 points. Everybody needs to take responsibility, myself and the players, to understand what it takes to win games.”

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="ca" dir="ltr">⚔️ Plαчoffs αtmosphere 🔥<br><br>⌚️ La <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RocaTeam?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RocaTeam</a> reçoit <a href="https://twitter.com/FBBasketbol?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FBBasketbol</a> pour un duel de haut de tableau en <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EuroLeague</a> ⏫️<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DagheMunegu?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DagheMunegu</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EveryGameMatters?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EveryGameMatters</a> <a href="https://t.co/zXvxSF71xG">pic.twitter.com/zXvxSF71xG</a></p>&mdash; AS Monaco Basket 🇲🇨 (@ASMonaco_Basket) <a href="https://twitter.com/ASMonaco_Basket/status/1902653625077297299?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 20, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Just a few days later, Monaco was dumped out of the French Cup semifinals by Le Mans having lost 99-102 in a game that didn’t go to overtime. More improvement is therefore needed on the defensive end if the principality club is to get back on track, but with just five games remaining in the regular season, time is running out.

Coach Spanoulis will be praying and hoping that new signing [Daniel Theis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/daniel-theis/004132/) is able to play after suffering a scary fall in Round 29, as the German big man has made a telling impact across his first three games with averages of 14.3 points and 5.7 rebounds. It’s a small sample size but Theis has already demonstrated that he has what it takes to be a pivotal player for Monaco, which is looking to make its second Final Four appearance this year.

What is clear is that, regardless of whether Theis can play or not, Monaco will lean heavily on its excellent quartet of guards: [Mike James](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/mike-james/005985/), [Elie Okobo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/elie-okobo/011212/), [Jordan Loyd](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/jordan-loyd/009754/) and [Matthew Strazel](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/matthew-strazel/008099/). All four have the ability to cause a lot of damage to Fenerbahce, and they will be eager to close the season sweep against the Turkish side, a bit of payback after losing 3-2 in the playoffs last season.

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="tr" dir="ltr">🏀 Maç günü!<br><br>🏆 <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EuroLeague</a> 30. Hafta<br>🆚 AS Monaco<br>🕘 21.00<br>📍 Salle Gaston Medecin<br>🔗 Maç raporu: <a href="https://t.co/fllLxOzGig">https://t.co/fllLxOzGig</a> <br>🎙️ Maç önü görüşleri: <a href="https://t.co/tIzhOjfE33">https://t.co/tIzhOjfE33</a><br>📺 <a href="https://twitter.com/ssporttr?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ssporttr</a><br>📱 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/YellowLegacy?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#YellowLegacy</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EuroLeague?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EuroLeague</a> <a href="https://t.co/sGQGiw6Aeb">pic.twitter.com/sGQGiw6Aeb</a></p>&mdash; Fenerbahçe Beko (@FBBasketbol) <a href="https://twitter.com/FBBasketbol/status/1902621381797327008?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 20, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Fenerbahce gets contributions from a number of guys on a night in, night out basis, something that was evident last week as nine players netted 8 points or more in the win over ASVEL: Baldwin (15 points), McCollum (10), [Bonzie Colson](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/bonzie-colson/009783/) (10), [Nicolo Melli](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/nicolo-melli/002849/) (9), [Sertac Sanli](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/sertac-sanli/002968/) (9), [Marko Guduric](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/marko-guduric/004004/) (9), [Jilson Bango](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/jilson-bango/013696/) (8), [Nigel Hayes-Davis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/nigel-hayes-davis/008962/) (8), and [Devon Hall](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/devon-hall/011205/) (8). On the other end, its third-ranked defense (80.4 PPG) will fancy its chances of containing Monaco’s fifth-ranked offense (86.5 PPG), despite what happened in Round 15.

The previous 12 meetings between Monaco and Fenerbahce have resulted in five wins for the Monégasque club and seven for the Turkish side, but who will triumph on Thursday night? Monaco knows it requires a win to keep its top-four hopes alive, while Fenerbahce has the chance to lock up home-court advantage with a win (and if other results go its way). It should be a cracker, so make sure to tune in via EuroLeague TV.

Vassilis Spanoulis and Saras Jasikevicius, who won the 2009 EuroLeague title together as players, come head to head as coaches for the second time

Episode no. 19 of EuroLeague & Friends saw Lisa Ramuschkat of Germany,  Vasiliki Karamouza of Greece, Aleksandra Radivojevic of Serbia and Giulia Cicchine of Italy come togther and discuss all the hot topics in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

EuroLeague & Friends discuss All-25 team, Sylvain Francisco and the Greek derby

Episode no. 19 of EuroLeague & Friends saw [Lisa Ramuschkat](https://www.instagram.com/lisa_ramuschkat/) of Germany,  [Vasiliki Karamouza](https://eur04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fx.com%2Fkaramouza_vas&data=05%7C02%7Cgeoff.gillingham%40euroleague.net%7C11f1688411b149f3d69008dd54da09f0%7C2b3d64f0329542979f1528435f0a62ce%7C1%7C0%7C638760017621742220%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=e6ofg13yx1u0i4tOROcbsfxgVO58l%2BWRN1lSWgK5Csc%3D&reserved=0) of Greece, [Aleksandra Radivojevic](https://www.instagram.com/amazing__alex/) of Serbia and [Giulia Cicchine](https://www.instagram.com/lacicchine/) of Italy come togther and discuss all the hot topics in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague. Among them were the latest Hoop District in Athens and the All-25 EuroLeague team. With 20 names in the bag, the cast debates who the remaining five players might be.

Vasiliki attended the Greek Derby and told the rest of the cast about the great basketball atmosphere at Peace and Friendship Stadium. [Sylvain Francisco](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/sylvain-francisco/007975/) and the way he has stepped up for Zalgiris Kaunas was also discussed as was [The Francisco Show](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQggwwwgIrA).

There was time to chat about Pedro Calles taking over as [ALBA Berlin](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/alba-berlin/roster/ber/?season=2024-25)'s new head coach and the Rivalry Series game featuring Vassilis Spanoulis of [AS Monaco](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/as-monaco/roster/mco/?season=2024-25) and Sarunas Jasikevicius of [Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/fenerbahce-beko-istanbul/roster/ulk/?season=2024-25) on the sidelines, years after they won the EuroLeague together as Panathinaikos teammates in 2009. You can listen to the latest episode of EuroLeague & Friends on YouTube and all major podcast services.

The fight to reach the postseason is also a hot topic

Real Madrid v LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne (2025-03-20T19:45:00.000Z)

Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens v ALBA Berlin (2025-03-21T19:15:00.000Z)

FC Barcelona v Zalgiris Kaunas (2025-03-21T19:30:00.000Z)

Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade v Anadolu Efes Istanbul (2025-03-21T19:45:00.000Z)