Watch LIVE: Day 3 of NextGen EuroLeague in Belgrade

The fourth event of the Adidas NextGen EuroLeague 2024-25 season concludes today at the legendary Aleksandar Nikolic Hall in Belgrade, Serbia. After two days of action featuring the continent’s top young talents battling in the last of four NextGen EuroLeague Qualifying Tournaments, it will be U18 Emporio Armani Milan and U18 Pole France INSEP Paris clashing in Sunday's first-place game at 16:30 CET.

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Stream live (Serbia only)

### Sunday schedule:

**10:00 CET** [U18 Maccabi Tel Aviv vs. U18 Dolomiti Energia Trento](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/ngt/news/machettis-buzzer-beater-lifts-trento-over-maccabi/)

**12:00 CET** U18 Crvena Zvezda Belgrade vs. U18 Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade

**14:00 CET** U18 Joventut Badalona vs. U18 Next Gen Team Belgrade

**16:30 CET** U18 EA7 Emporio Armani Milan vs. U18 Pole France INSEP Paris

Join the NextGen EuroLeague Belgrade Watch Party!

U18 EA7 Emporio Armani Milan v U18 Pole France INSEP Paris (2025-03-09T15:30:00.000Z)

U18 Joventut Badalona v U18 Next Gen Team Belgrade (2025-03-09T13:00:00.000Z)

U18 Crvena Zvezda Belgrade v U18 Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade (2025-03-09T11:00:00.000Z)

U18 Maccabi Tel Aviv v U18 Dolomiti Energia Trento (2025-03-09T09:00:00.000Z)

U18 Next Gen Team Belgrade won the third-place game at the NextGen EuroLeague Qualifying Tournament in Belgrade 77-85 over U18 Joventut Badalona

NGT Belgrade is third after beating Joventut 77-85

U18 Next Gen Team Belgrade won the third-place game at the NextGen EuroLeague Qualifying Tournament in Belgrade 77-85 over U18 Joventut Badalona. Aaron Towo-Nansi shined with 31 points, Kaum Tomann added 15 and Akram Naji scored 11 for the winners. Ian Platteeuw led Joventut with 21 points and 15 rebounds and Helmuts Petrovics contributed 14 points and 6 assists in defeat.

Joventut started strong and led 22-15 late in the opening quarter. NGT Belgrade came back to tie the game after 10 minutes and then scored 30 second-quarter points to build a 39-50 halftime advantage. While Joventut didn't fold, NGT Belgrade stretched the lead to 15 after three quarters and never let Joventut make a serious rally after that.

Game News

Towo-Nansi put on a shot again for NGT Belgrade

High-flying Olympiacos celebrates 100th birthday with eyes set on the prize

A dominant [Olympiacos Piraeus](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/olympiacos-piraeus/oly/) may have grabbed [an 82-70 victory over Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/olympiacos-rolls-on-with-smooth-win-over-partizan-82-70/) on Friday night, but what stole the spotlight at the Peace and Friendship Stadium was the pre-game celebrations to honor the club’s 100th birthday.

An emotional video displayed on the jumbotron was followed by the presentation of Olympiacos’s players, who, led by captain [Kostas Papanikolaou](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/kostas-papanikolaou/001255/), proceeded to unfold a banner that wished the team a happy birthday, noting that “100 years are not enough” by quoting a chant created by fans to commemorate the occasion.

Meanwhile, another larger banner was unfurled at the stands depicting the anniversary badge, used by every section of the Greek multi-sport club to celebrate this special year. The logo was surrounded by thousands of chart papers lifted by the fans to form Olympiacos’s signature red-and-white stripes.

The decibels skyrocketed while the starters prepared for the tipoff, with the arena bouncing until the final whistle. In the meantime, wearing the anniversary jersey designed by the club, seven Olympiacos players would score at least 8 points each, with the hosts recording 25 assists to down one of the most in-form teams in the competition.

What better way to celebrate your 100th anniversary than winning by putting on display your signature altruistic, self-sacrificing, next-man-up style of play instilled into the team by head coach Georgios Bartzokas?

“This is a very important period for the club,” Bartzokas admitted in the postgame press conference. “We feel proud to be members of Olympiacos at this time when the club is celebrating its 100th anniversary. We will try to do our best to live up to the expectations.”

Expectations are always sky-high for the Reds, taking into account the successful history of the club. Founded on March 10, 1925, Olympiacos Club of Fans of Piraeus quickly became a sense of identity for working-class people in the port city of Athens.

<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">ABSOLUTE SCENES IN OLYMPIACOS 👀<br><br>Olympiacos celebrating 100 years of the club 😍<a href="https://twitter.com/Olympiacos_BC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Olympiacos_BC</a> <a href="https://t.co/xwPG4ohLzh">pic.twitter.com/xwPG4ohLzh</a></p>&mdash; Turkish Airlines EuroLeague (@EuroLeague) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague/status/1898090754049745243?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 7, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

What started as a local sports club based in Piraeus would turn into an organization that would celebrate international titles in football, basketball, volleyball (men's and women's) and water polo (men’s and women’s).

Last season, Olympiacos became the first Greek club to win a European trophy in football by celebrating UEFA Conference League triumph on May 29, 2024. A month earlier, Olympiacos’s academy products had clinched the UEFA Youth League trophy - the Reds becoming the only club in the continent whose men and youth team have both celebrated a European title in the same season.

### A powerhouse in European basketball

Olympiacos’s basketball team was founded at the end of the 1930s and would go on to become one of the most adored sections of the club. After finishing as runner-up in the 1994 and 1995 EuroLeague Final Fours, the Reds finally went all the way to glory in 1997 by beating FC Barcelona in the Championship Game.

The MVP of that game was David Rivers, one of the numerous legendary players to have donned the red-and-white stripes over the years along with EuroLeague icons Zarko Paspalj, [Alphonso Ford](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/alphonso-ford/acf/), [Theo Papaloukas](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/theodoros-papaloukas/atw/) and [Vassilis Spanoulis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/vassilis-spanoulis/juo/), among others.

The latter was the undisputed leader of the team during the recent glory years that saw Olympiacos join the exclusive club of teams that have won back-to-back EuroLeague trophies by clinching titles in 2012 and 2013. Along with future captains [Georgios Printezis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/georgios-printezis/amm/) and Papanikolaou, Spanoulis laid the foundation for Olympiacos to become one of the most competitive teams in the league.

In fact, the Reds have reached 13 Final Fours, including nine appearances over the last 15 years (2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2022, 2023 and 2024). Last term, Olympiacos clinched Final Four participation for the third year in a row – something it achieved for the first time in its illustrious history.

What they’ve been missing, though, is the much-desired fourth EuroLeague trophy – the major objective in the 2024-25 campaign. Olympiacos aims to go all the way in its bid to offer the title as the perfect gift to the fans for the 100th birthday of the club.

“We need a bit of luck, to be healthy, to live up to expectations,” Bartzokas added. “The club provides me with everything, the presidents \[sign\] good players, the front office \[offers\] the best conditions. The last few years we are where we are, \[because\] we are working at a good level. Sometimes you need luck, hopefully, we will have more this year.”

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="el" dir="ltr">🔴⚪ 𝝤𝝠𝝪𝝡𝝥𝝞𝝖𝝟𝝤𝝨 𝝨𝝪𝝢𝝙𝝚𝝨𝝡𝝤𝝨 𝝫𝝞𝝠𝝖𝝝𝝠𝝮𝝢 𝝥𝝚𝝞𝝦𝝖𝝞𝝮𝝨 🔴⚪️<br><br>𝟭𝟬𝟬 𝝬𝝦𝝤𝝢𝝞𝝖 𝝝𝝦𝝪𝝠𝝤𝝨<br><br>💯 Χρόνια Δύναμης<br>💯 Χρόνια Πάθους<br>💯 Χρόνια Υπερηφάνειας<br>💯 Χρόνια Τίτλων και Διακρίσεων<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Olympiacos?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Olympiacos</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Olympiacos100?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Olympiacos100</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/100LegendaryYears?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#100LegendaryYears</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Piraeus?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Piraeus</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Greece?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Greece</a>… <a href="https://t.co/8zcNzdcs1Q">pic.twitter.com/8zcNzdcs1Q</a></p>&mdash; Olympiacos B.C. (@Olympiacos_BC) <a href="https://twitter.com/Olympiacos_BC/status/1898854326623457466?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 9, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

### High hopes for EuroLeague success in 2025

In pursuit of the title, Olympiacos brought back former EuroLeague MVP [Sasha Vezenkov](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/sasha-vezenkov/003469/) and [Evan Fournier](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/evan-fournier/013380/) from the NBA. This explosive duo has carried the Reds to the top of the standings, with Olympiacos being the first team to clinch a postseason spot this season.

Having won 12 of their last 13 games, the Reds currently boast a league-best 21-7 record, with their next objectives being to secure a top-six finish and then home-court advantage for postseason.

Olympiacos has six games left to end the regular season, but the duel that stands out is the derby against Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens at the Peace and Friendship Stadium on Friday night.

Boasting two of the best teams in the competition this campaign, the two title contenders will face off for the second time following Olympiacos’s 89-94 triumph at OAKA in Round 8. It remains to be seen if the Reds will manage to double their wins over their eternal rivals or whether the reigning champion will avenge the aforementioned defeat.

In the meantime, Monday will be a highly significant day for Olympiacos fans, who will celebrate their club officially turning 100 years old. With Bartzokas’s side flying high this season in the EuroLeague, everyone has their eyes on the prize.

And as MVP candidate Sasha Vezenkov admitted in his official presentation back in the summer, it’s quite clear what that prize is.

“My goal is not to win MVP, but to win the EuroLeague,” he stressed. “That's the only thing on my mind. What it will take to do it, my coach and I will figure it out. I'll do everything. That's all I care about. The most important thing is to be healthy.”

More Olympiacos News

The successful multi-sport club was founded in Piraeus back on March 10, 1925

Crvena Zvezda beats Partizan 75-67 for fifth place

U18 Crvena Zvezda Belgrade outlasted U18 Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade 75-67 to finish fifth at the NextGen EuroLeague Qualifying Tournament in Belgrade. Zvezda finished the weekend with a 2-2 record after previously placing third in Group A. Partizan, which was third in Group B, leaves with a 1-3 mark.  

Stefan Marjanovic led the winners with 19 points, Jovan Bikic added 11 points – including 8 points and 2 assists in the fourth quarter, Novak Pavlovic also scored 11 and Lazar Stojkovic filled the stat sheet with 5 points, 13 rebounds, 7 assists and 3 blocks. Daris Sijaric scored a game-high 22 points and grabbed 13 rebounds and Zivko Mirkovic added 15 points and 5 assists in defeat.

Partizan roared out to a 4-16 start and led by as many as 16 early in the second quarter. Zvezda used an 8-0 run shortly before halftime to close the gap to 34-36 at the break. It was close after that. Down 62-63 with 5 minutes remaining, Bikic scored 5 straight points and then assisted on a Lazar Stojkovic triple as Zvezda took control for good. Marjanovic added two more clutch buckets to help Zvezda put the game away.

Stefan Marjanovic and Jovan Bikic stood out for the winners

Mario Machetti nailed a buzzer-beating three-pointer to lift U18 Dolomiti Energia Trento to a 54-55 victory in the seventh-place game at the NextGen EuroLeague Qualifying Tournament in Belgrade

Machetti's buzzer beater lifts Trento over Maccabi 

Mario Machetti nailed a buzzer-beating three-pointer to lift U18 Dolomiti Energia Trento to a 54-55 victory in the seventh-place game at the NextGen EuroLeague Qualifying Tournament in Belgrade. The victory was Trento's first if the tournament and came a day after it missed at the buzzer to fall to U18 Next Gen Team Belgrade. Maccabi dropped its sixth straight game in Belgarde dating back to last season when it also lost the seventh-place game at the buzzer, that time to Israeli rival U18 Hapoel Yehuda Tel Aviv.

Machetti led Trento with 11 points and came up with a pair of big threes late after missing all of his first 7 shots from deep. Cesare Placinschi added 10 points and 4 assists and Cheickh Niang contributed 9 points and 7 rebounds for the winners. Nitay Dodo paced the Maccabi attack with 15 points and Gabreil Artmenko posted 11 points and 6 rebounds in defeat.

Maccabi used a 14-0 run that bridged the first and second quarters to grab a 20-13 lead and coasted into halftime ahead 31-21. The Israeli side extended the margin to 49-31 early in the fourth quarter.  Trento used a run of 10 unanswered points to get back in the game and then held Maccabi scoreless for the final 2 and a half minutes of the game to orchestrate the comeback.

His clutch shooting saw Trento claim its first win of the weekend

Aaron Towo-Nansi is the latest showstopper in Europe's small guard Renaissance 

The current European basketball landscape could remind some of the Renaissance covering the 15th and 16th centuries when the continent went through a rebirth culturally and artistically. Many Turkish Airlines EuroLeague clubs have rediscovered the value of small guards and their dynamic impact on the game. And the world is being treated in Belgrade to one of Europe’s newest artistic and cultural phenomenons - [Aaron Towo-Nansi](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/ngt/players/aaron-towo-nansi/012847/).

The French point guard has captured the hearts and minds of fans watching the Adidas NextGen EuroLeague Belgrade with his passion for defense, his fortitude as a leader, his maturity well beyond his years and a game that makes you smile and shake your head.

Towo-Nansi has been an unstoppable whirlwind force in Belgrade averaging 17.0 in the group stage for U18 Next Gen Team Belgrade. All that despite two eye-raising reminders. He celebrated his 16th birthday just three days before the tournament started, and he stands just 1.74 meters tall.

TJ Shorts of Paris Basketball and Yago Dos Santos of Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade are both just 1.75 meters while Markus Howard of Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz is 1.78 meters tall. And Anadolu Efes Istanbul star Shane Larkin and Carsen Edwards of FC Bayern Munich are both only 1.80 meters.

"Basketball is for everyone - tall or short. You can really make it and that is what Europe is proving right now"

“In Europe, there are more and more shorter point guards. It’s inspiring for me as I am currently considered short for a point guard,” said Towo-Nansi. “I would say I am inspired by guys like TJ Shorts, \[Paris Basketball’s\] Nadir Hifi and Matthew Strazel \[of LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne\]. But since I have been younger, I have also been inspired by Shane Larkin. The one I watch most is Sylvain Francisco \[of Zalgiris Kaunas\] for his grit and what he brings. It’s truly inspiring and it shows that basketball is for everyone - tall or short. You can really make it and that is what Europe is proving right now."

Two-time EuroLeague champion Dogus Balbay has seen his share of basketball and is coaching the Next Gen selection teams this season. He called Towo-Nansi an “incredible young talent”.

“He’s the captain of our team and he’s handling it super well - not just what he does on the court but off the court as well. When you watch him on the bench he is always cheering for his teammates. He’s always positive. He always has that next-play mentality,” Balbay said. “Great character, great player. We rely on his abilities a lot. So far he’s been doing a great job at carrying us.”

Towo-Nansi is carrying a team that only has been together a few days as the Next Gen Team is a selection of top-level players from across the continent playing for clubs that are not in the competition - just like Towo-Nansi, who plays his club basketball with Cholet Basket.

Aaron Towo-Nansi highlights

“I learned to play with international players from other countries. And we were with a foreign coach and we had very little time to prepare. Yet the results we delivered were still in line with what wanted. It’s an enriching experience for me and I hope to have more like it,” said Towo-Nansi.

The native of Rennes joined Cholet in the summer of 2023 - a club that has developed some major talent including former and current NBA players Mickael Gelabale, Rodrigue Beaubois, Nando De Colo, Kevin Seraphin, Rudy Gobert, Killian Hayes and Tidjane Salaun.

Last season Towo-Nansi broke onto the NextGen landscape with Cholet at the tournament in Podgorica. Still just 14 years old, he tallied 8.5 points, 1.3 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.3 steals. Towo-Nansi followed that last summer by helping France win its fourth FIBA U16 EuroBasket title by beating Spain in the final. He averaged 8.6 points, 2.9 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 2.7 steals.

“Spain versus France is always a historic battle - every year, every age group, even at the senior team. They beat us in the preparations but we got our revenge in the final. Lifting the cup with my team was definitely my greatest memory,” he remembered.

Towo-Nansi this season has been a force in the French U21 level, averaging 13.0 points, 3.4 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 2.0 steals despite being up to 5 years younger than his opponents.

In Belgrade, he has valued playing for and learning from Next Gen coach Balbay, who won the EuroLeague with Anadolu Efes Istanbul in 2021 and 2022.

“It was really rewarding to have a coach like that since he’s a point guard like me. He gave me tips for pick-and-rolls and end-of-possession situations. Having a coach who performed in the EuroLeague was truly valuable,” Towo Nansi said.

Some of the things that stand out with Towo-Nansi are his leadership and his drive to play tough defense.

“My leadership comes naturally. I think it’s crucial to have that skill because as a point guard communication is key. That’s why it’s ingrained in me. But otherwise, I would say it’s quite innate,” he explained.

"I am someone who loves playing defense. For me, you can change a game on offense, but also on defense."

“To embrace leadership, I am someone who loves playing defense. For me, you can change a game on offense, but also on defense. As a point guard who defends against ball-handlers, it’s crucial to apply pressure and steal the ball so my teammates can step up defensively and our defensive energy rises. I’m emotional, which helps keep or increase the game’s energy.”

Towo-Nansi’s ever-present energy leads to outbursts of emotion after drawing a charge, converting a tough and-one, or hitting a big three-pointer. But as intriguing as his game and aura are, even his family heritage background leaves one fascinated.

One of his paternal grandparents hails from Cameroon while his mother’s parents are from Cambodia. Basketball is a huge part of his family. His father Alban Towo-Nansi played last season in the NM3 fifth division, his older brother plays in N3, his sister played up to N1 and now is at NF2. And his younger brother Darel is also a player. 

With all that basketball around, it’s no surprise that Aaron Towo-Nansi was bouncing a basketball already at age 3. And that he has become the latest European artistic and cultural phenomenon.

The young French playmaker has left his mark at NextGen Belgrade

EuroLeague top photos of the week

Joel Bolomboy of Crvena Zvezda denies Bayern's Carsen Edwards

David McCormack of ALBA Berlin dunks against Barcelona

Evan Fournier of Olympiacos dribbles past Partizan's Arijan Lakic

Roman Sorkin of Maccabi soars to dunk against ASVEL

Achille Polonara of Virtus rises to contest a shot by Efes's Rolands Smits

Mario Hezonja of Real Madrid rises to shoot in front of Panathinaikos's Juancho Hernangomez

Shaquielle McKissic of Olympiacos dunks on Partizan's Balsa Koprivica

Jordan Loyd of Milan dribbles past Paris's Maodo Lo

Laurynas Birutis of Zalgiris emotes after dunking against Baskonia

Jilson Bango of Fenerbahce rises to dunk in front of Milan's Nikola Mirotic

Look back at all the action from Round 28 of the regular season by checking out the best photos of the week!

Top 10 photos of the week: Round 28

INSEP sinks Partizan, wins Group B

U18 Pole France INSEP Paris is in the first-place game at the NextGen EuroLeague Qualifying Tournament in Belgrade after an 87-68 win over U18 Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade in the final match of the group stage. INSEP won Group B with a 3-0 record and will play EA7 Emporio Armani Milan in the first place game on Sunday. Partizan will be facing its arch rival U18 Crvena Zvezda Belgrade in the fifth-place game.

In this contest, INSEP won behind 22 points from Hugo Yimga Moukouri. Cameron Houindo had 12 points, and Noa Kouakou-Heugue scored 11 in the winning effort. For Partizan, Lukas Bojovic and Daris Sijaric scored 16 apiece, and Uros Danilovic scored 15 in a loss.

U18 Pole France INSEP Paris v U18 Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade (2025-03-08T18:00:00.000Z)

Next Gen Team survives drama, edges Trento 57-58

U18 Next Gen Team Belgrade pulled out a 57-58 win against U18 Dolomiti Energia Trento to improve to 2-1 record in Group B at the NextGen EuroLeague Qualifying Tournament in Belgrade. Trento remained winless and will play in the seventh-place game, while Next Gen improved to 2-1, pulling out a hard-fought win just hours after its double-overtime loss against INSEP.

Apart from a 3-2 lead early in the game, Trento trailed the rest of the way, even by 16 points. But it rallied in the second half, and Patrick Hassan hit a three-pointer with 1:07 to go, to give Trento a 57-56 lead. But Federico Bottelli made two foul shots with 11 seconds to go to restore Next Gen Team’s lead. In the remaining time, Ivan Prato emphatically rejected Hassan’s attempt, then Cesare Placinschi missed a shot inside at the buzzer, as the Next Gen Team prevailed.

The winners, which need help from U18 Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade in the final game of group stage to secure a place in Sunday’s first-place game, had 11 different scorers in the low-scoring affair, but none more than Kaur Tomann’s 10 points. Hassan led Trento with 24 points.

U18 Dolomiti Energia Trento v U18 Next Gen Team Belgrade (2025-03-08T16:00:00.000Z)

Milan downs Zvezda, moves into first-place game

U18 EA7 Emporio Armani Milan is the first team to book a place in the first place game at the NextGen EuroLeague Qualifying Tournament in Belgrade, after beating the tourney host U18 Crvena Zvezda Belgrade 96-74. Milan won Group A with a 3-0 record, while Zvezda finished in third place in the group with a 1-2 record and will feature in Sunday’s fifth place game.

The two teams were close throughout the first half, and Milan had 48-43 lead at the break. But Milan used a 12-2 run to pull away to 63-49, and never looked back.

Mattia Ceccato scored 26 points on 5-for-8 three-point shooting while Luigi Suigo had 19 points and 12 rebounds for Milan. Diego Garavaglia had 15 points, Achille Lonati 13 and Guglielmo Youssef 11 in a win. Stefan Marjanovic was Zvezda’s top scorer with 19 points, Lazar Stojkovic had 13, Andrej Lucic 12 and Jovan Bikic 11 points in defeat.

U18 EA7 Emporio Armani Milan v U18 Crvena Zvezda Belgrade (2025-03-08T14:00:00.000Z)

Joventut handles Maccabi, 72-57

U18 Joventut Badalona beat U18 Maccabi Tel Aviv 72-57 to register its second win in Group A of the NextGen EuroLeague Qualifying Tournament in Belgrade. Joventut finished group stage with a 2-1 record, while Maccabi is 0-3 and will play in the seventh-place game on Sunday.

Humberto Ruiz had 16 points, Saba Merebashvili scored 13, Eric Del Castillo 12 points, while Ian Latteeuw had an all-round performance with 8 points, 9 rebounds and 5 assists. Arbel Lachmanovich had 14 points for Maccabi.

Joventut never trailed, but pulled away for good early in the third quarter thanks to a 10-0 run that opened a 55-41 lead. The margin never dropped into single digits the rest of the way.

U18 Joventut Badalona v U18 Maccabi Tel Aviv (2025-03-08T12:00:00.000Z)

INSEP edges NextGen Team in 2OT classic

U18 Pole France INSEP Paris battled for an 85-92 double-overtime win over U18 NextGen Team Belgrade in their Group B clash at the NextGen EuroLeague Qualifying Tournament in Belgrade on Saturday. INSEP moved to a 2-0 record, while NextGen Team dropped to 1-1.

In an exciting back-and-forth affair, INSEP rallied in the fourth quarter before Cameron Houindo made a pair of baskets in the final 70 seconds to send the game into overtime, 68-68. At the end of the first extra session, it was again Houindo and Matthys Mahop with his first field goal of the game to tie it at 75-75 and force second OT. There, Noa Kouakou-Heugue sparked a 2-9 run for INSEP to pull away to an 82-89 win, paving the way to victory.

Kouakou-Heugue paced the winners with 22 points and 11 rebounds. Hugo Yimga Moukouri had 20 points, Houindo scored 15 points and Nathan Soliman had 12 points and 8 rebounds. NextGen Team was led by Aaron Towo-Nasi who had 36 points, while Borna Katanovic scored 16 with 9 rebounds.

U18 Next Gen Team Belgrade v U18 Pole France INSEP Paris (2025-03-08T10:00:00.000Z)

A pair of dominant performances have seen FC Bayern Munich’s Carsen Edwards and Anadolu Efes Istanbul’s Vincent Poirier share co-MVP honors in Round 28 of the 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season. 

Round 28 co-MVPs: Carsen Edwards, Vincent Poirier

A pair of dominant performances have seen FC Bayern Munich’s [Carsen Edwards](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/carsen-edwards/011987/) and Anadolu Efes Istanbul’s [Vincent Poirier](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/vincent-poirier/004887/) share co-MVP honors in Round 28 of the 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.

Both Edwards and Poirier finished with a 29 PIR, the highest in this round. Edwards erupted for 30 points on 4-of-7 two-pointers, 6-of-10 triples and 4-of-5 free throws as Bayern beat Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade 100-82. He also posted 1 rebound, 4 assists, 1 steal and 7 drawn fouls. This is the second time that Edwards has been the MVP of the Round, having also earned this honor in Round 23 of this current season. Poirier, meanwhile, had an 18-point, 13-rebound double-double as Efes defeated Virtus Segafredo Bologna 89-68. He reached those 18 points after shooting 7 for 11 on two-pointers and 4 for 5 from the line. Poirier also added 1 steal, 1 block and 4 fouls drawn. This is the fourth time that he has taken home MVP of the Round honors, having previously done so in Round 12 of the 2017-18 season, in Game 2 of the 2019 playoffs and Game 2 of the 2022 playoffs.

In third place this week is Zvezda’s Joel Bolomboy, who had a monster night on the glass in his team’s loss at Bayern. Bolomboy, who had a 28 PIR, grabbed 19 rebounds – the most of any player this season – of which 12 came on the offensive end, also a EuroLeague season high and the second most all-time. He netted 12 points on 6-of-8 two-pointers, made 2 assists, blocked 1 shot and drew 1 foul. Fourth place in Round 28 is occupied by Bayern’s [Vladimir Lucic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/vladimir-lucic/001288/), who amassed 18 points on 3-of-5 two-pointers, 3-of-4 triples and 3-of-6 free throws, 7 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, zero turnovers and 7 drawn fouls for a PIR of 26. Rounding out of the list of top performers this week is AS Monaco’s [Jordan Loyd](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/jordan-loyd/009754/) with a 25 PIR. Loyd scored 21 points on 4-of-5 two-pointers, 4-of-4 three-pointers and 1-of-1 free throws as Monaco beat Paris Basketball 79-91, with the American also posting 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, zero turnovers and 2 fouls drawn.

### Individual highs: Joel Bolomboy, Zvezda, 19 rebounds

Bayern’s Carsen Edwards poured in 30 points in Round 28, the most of any player. Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens star [Kendrick Nunn](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/kendrick-nunn/012774/) leads the EuroLeague in scoring with 20.6 points per game.

Zvezda center Bolomboy set a EuroLeague season high with the 19 rebounds he pulled down in this round. He also tops the rebounding charts with 8.5 boards per night.

FC Barcelona’s [Tomas Satoransky](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/tomas-satoransky/002939/) posted a career-high 12 assists, which is the best mark of any player this week. Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv’s [Tamir Blatt](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/tamir-blatt/011193/) is the league’s leading assist provider with 7.2 per contest.

Seven players recorded 3 steals in Round 28: Olympiacos Piraeus’s [Nikola Milutinov](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/nikola-milutinov/003941/), LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne’s [Neal Sako](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/neal-sako/010545/), Maccabi’s [Jimmy Clark](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/jimmy-clark-iii/013699/), Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz’s [Luka Samanic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/luka-samanic/007579/), ALBA Berlin’s [Matteo Spagnolo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/matteo-spagnolo/008173/), Monaco’s [Mike James](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/mike-james/005985/) and Paris’s [Daulton Hommes](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/daulton-hommes/011949/). Bayern ballhawk [Nick Weiler-Babb](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/nick-weiler-babb/010391/) averages a league-best 1.7 steals per game.

Baskonia’s [Donta Hall](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/donta-hall/011196/) finished with 3 blocks, the most in this round. Monaco’s [Georgios Papagiannis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/georgios-papagiannis/005844/) (1.41 BPG) has a slender lead over Real Madrid’s [Walter Tavares](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/walter-tavares/005791/) (1.39 BPG) at the top of the charts in blocks.

Vincent Poirier (18 points, 13 rebounds), Joel Bolomboy (12 points, 19 rebounds) and Neal Sako (10 points, 11 rebounds) were the only players to record a double-double in Round 28.

This is the second time Edwards has secured the award, and the fourth time for Poirier

Top 10 Plays | RS Round 28 | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

Round 28 of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague had something for everyone. Check out round's best plays and see who had the best of them!

Round 28: Top 10 Plays

Partizan holds off Trento, 81-66

In the opening game of Saturday action at the NextGen EuroLeague Qualifying Tournament in Belgrade, U18 Partizan Mozzart Bet used a big third quarter to down U18 Dolomiti Energia Trento 81-66. Partizan improved its record to 1-1 in Group B, while Trento dropped to 0-2.

Lukas Bojovic paced Partizan with 24 points, Aleksa Kojic scored 13, Zivko Mirkovic had 11 points while Daris Sijaric collected 10 points and 9 rebounds. For Trento, Cesare Placinschi scored 16 points, Mario Machetti 13 points, while Patrick Hassan had 11 points and 10 assists.

Partizan scored the last 5 points of the second quarter, and the first 6 of the third quarter to open a 44-36 lead. The margin continued to grow as Partizan held 62-47 lead after 30 minutes, then increased it to 69-47 early in the fourth. Trento answered with a 0-13 run, but never got closer than that.

U18 Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade v U18 Dolomiti Energia Trento (2025-03-08T08:00:00.000Z)

Turkish Airlines EuroLeague fans, we have our 27th winner in this season's EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge! Alican Utku Ozler beat everyone else in Round 27 with his team 'Polestar', which had a Fantasy Challenge score of 245.00.

EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge Round 27 winner

Turkish Airlines EuroLeague fans, we have our 28th winner in this season's [EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge](https://euroleaguefantasy.euroleaguebasketball.net/)! Nontas Gligoris beat everyone else in Round 28 with his team 'BC Spanox', which had a Fantasy Challenge score of 232.55.

Nontas had the following starting lineup: Carsen Edwards of FC Bayern Munich as team captain, then his Bayern teammate Vladimir Lucic, Sasha Vezenkov of Olympiacos Piraeus, Joel Bolomboy of Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade and Elijah Bryant of Anadolu Efes Istanbul. His sixth man was Efes's Vincent Poirier. The rest of the bench consisted of Barcelona's Dario Brizuela, Bonzie Colson of Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul, Zvezda's Isaiah Canaan and Mario Hezonja of Real Madrid. His team's head coach was Anadolu Efes Istanbul play-caller Luca Banchi.

The prize for finishing first in Round 28 is a free VIP Euroleague TV subscription for the 2025-26 season, so congratulations, Nontas!

Marko Djukic and his team 'Kughat' remains the leader of the [EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge](https://euroleaguefantasy.euroleaguebasketball.net/) overall standings with 4,781.09 points.

Trades are now open for Round 29. Remember, four trades are allowed before each round until the end of the regular season. You can either trade up to four players, or a head coach and three players.

The first game in Round 29 tips off on Thursday, March 13, as Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul hosts LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne at 18:45 CET. That game marks the next round's deadline.

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

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

EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge Round 28 winner

Olympiacos BC beat KK Partizan on Friday night to notch its fifth win in a row, and 12th in the last 13 games, ahead of next week's Greek derby against Panathinaikos BC. 

Olympiacos steamrolled Partizan with one eye on the Greek derby 

The Turkish Airlines EuroLeague regular season is heading into the home stretch and leader [Olympiacos Piraeus](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/olympiacos-piraeus/oly/) kept its stranglehold on pole position with a comfortable [82-70 home win over Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/olympiacos-rolls-on-with-smooth-win-over-partizan-82-70/) in a one-sided contest.

It was a fifth win in a row for Olympiacos, which also made it 12 out of the last 13 as the Greek giant rolled on in Europe’s premier club competition ahead of next week’s mouth-watering clash with reigning champion [Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/panathinaikos-aktor-athens/pan/).

It does not get any bigger than that, and the fierce rivalry between the neighboring clubs is set to produce another epic chapter, with Olympiacos having home-court advantage at the Peace and Friendship Stadium just days after celebrating the club’s milestone 100th anniversary on March 10.

The game against Partizan provided for a perfect dress rehearsal as Olympiacos stifled out one of the competition’s most potent offensive teams on the back of ironclad defense, having led by as many as 20 points in the second half.

Among a pack of rock-solid Olympiacos performers, big man [Nikola Milutinov](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/nikola-milutinov/003941/) was named player of the game after racking up 10 points and 9 boards, shooting 5 of 7 from the floor as he dominated the paint at both ends of the floor against his former club.

“I am just delighted we won,” Milutinov said in his postgame comments. “One more win and we’re just trying to improve our game all the time. We want to keep our EuroLeague streak going and today we put in a good overall performance.”

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="und" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/bwinMVP?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#bwinMVP</a> of the game, Nikola Milutinov!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OlympiacosBC?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#OlympiacosBC</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WeAreOlympiacos?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WeAreOlympiacos</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TogetherWeFight?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TogetherWeFight</a> <a href="https://t.co/7rU6vuSPOx">pic.twitter.com/7rU6vuSPOx</a></p>&mdash; Olympiacos B.C. (@Olympiacos_BC) <a href="https://twitter.com/Olympiacos_BC/status/1898126497430356089?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 7, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Coach Georgios Bartzokas praised a festive atmosphere inside the Peace and Friendship Stadium, where the home team’s red-and-white army roared Olympiacos on from start to finish.

The home faithful, who nurture brethren relations with Partizan’s bitter city foe [Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/crvena-zvezda-meridianbet-belgrade/red/), came up with sporadic good-natured taunts as they mixed their own songs with some of Zvezda’s favorite lyrics to galvanize Olympiacos.  

“I am very appreciative of the atmosphere as it shows what a huge club we are,” Bartzokas said. “If we hadn’t missed some open shots with great shooters like \[Sasha\] Vezenkov and \[Evan\] Fournier in our ranks, we might have had more than 30 assists tonight but we still beat a very strong opponent."

Olympiacos dished out 25 assists and racked up 33 points, with [Sasha Vezenkov](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/sasha-vezenkov/003469/) pacing the hosts on 17 points although he was a modest 1 of 6 from downtown, using his trademark movement off the ball to devastating effect as he scored a barrage of easy backdoor points.

Vezenkov, who received the EuroLeague’s January MVP award prior to the game, was also looking forward to the clash with Panathinaikos and a personal matchup against last month’s MVP [Kendrick Nunn](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/kendrick-nunn/012774/), with the two players continuously heaping praise on each other this season.

Vezenkov also acknowledged the game was bound to produce a titanic tussle after Panathinaikos edged Olympiacos 79-75 in the Greek Cup final a fortnight ago, rubbing salt into the country’s national champions again after Olympiacos claimed the Greek league title last season.    

“It was very important for us to win this one \[against Partizan\] and mark the club’s anniversary, 100 years of history for the fans and the family,” said Vezenkov. “Except for the last five minutes, we played great defense and now we’ve got to keep going.

“Like I said many times, \[Nunn\] is a great player and a great person. We both want to win the EuroLeague trophy for our respective clubs and we now we have to shift our focus on to them because they are coming for us next Friday. They won the \[Greek\] Cup so we need this game.”  

The EuroLeague pace-setter brushed aside Partizan ahead of a titanic clash with its eternal rival 

Olympiacos Piraeus v Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade (2025-03-07T19:15:00.000Z)

New signing Jimmy Clark has been the common factor as Maccabi Tel Aviv BC has recorded back-to-back wins in the EuroLeague, having beaten Fenerbahçe Beko and then LDLC ASVEL.

Jimmy Clark proved his value to help Maccabi defeat ASVEL

Despite having no chance of qualifying to the playoffs, [Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/maccabi-playtika-tel-aviv/tel/) has shown great pride since the February break. 

First, it [stunned Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul 94-76](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/short-handed-maccabi-surprises-fenerbahce-94-76/) in Round 27 on February 27, then on Friday night it recorded a [hard-fought 95-103 win in France at LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/maccabi-prevails-in-offensive-battle-against-asvel-95-102/) in Round 28.

“We are showing character, even though we don't have a chance \[to reach the\] playoffs or play-in,” Maccabi head coach Oded Kattash stressed after the game. “We've been through a lot this year. We built the team from zero, we had a lot of changes, a lot of difficulties, we are not playing in front of our home court, but the right character, the right attitude is not to find excuses, it's to come every day and to keep fighting."

Besides its smooth and effective offense, there is another common factor in the last two wins: [Jimmy Clark](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/jimmy-clark-iii/013699/). The American guard joined the Yellows right before the transfer deadline and has had an immediate impact for his new team. He went for 7 points, 6 rebounds and 10 assists against Fenerbahce before finishing with 15 points, 7 assists and 3 steals against ASVEL.

In his first season overseas, Clark adjusted to his new team pretty well and pretty quickly. Besides his stats, he has looked comfortable in his new role and in a new competition. Against ASVEL, he nailed a buzzer-beater three to close the first period and provided a couple of highlight plays with a pair of dunks after steals that showed his quickness and athleticism.

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="fr" dir="ltr">𝐁𝐎𝐍𝐒𝐎𝐈𝐑! <a href="https://t.co/0oepuWpR7J">pic.twitter.com/0oepuWpR7J</a></p>&mdash; Maccabi Tel Aviv BC 🇮🇱​ (@MaccabiTLVBC) <a href="https://twitter.com/MaccabiTLVBC/status/1898117073974284308?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 7, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

But talking about the game, Clark proved crucial for his team in the last period. He had to leave the court early when he committed his fourth foul, with Maccabi leading 72-78. He couldn’t rest a lot, though, as he was put on the floor less than two minutes later after ASVEL had just turned the tables, 81-80.

Clark delivered immediately, first assisting [Levi Randolph](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/levi-randolph/013382/) for a jumper, then scoring a couple of tough and contested layups to allow Maccabi to recover the lead. He also set the foundations for others like [Marial Shayok](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/marial-shayok/011202/https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/marial-shayok/011202/) and [Jasiel Rivero](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/jasiel-rivero/011214/), who took over later to avoid further ASVEL comeback attempts. 

Even though Clark did not score again in the last six minutes, Coach Katash had him on the court for most of that time, as he did with Shayok, who also had 4 fouls, recognizing his value to the team and to the win.

The Israeli team is 2-0 since the American joined the team before the transfer deadline

LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne v Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv (2025-03-07T19:00:00.000Z)