Name: Dreamland Gran Canaria-Joventut Badalona | Round 15 Highlights | 2024-25 BKT EuroCup
Channel: Euroleague Basketball

Shabazz Napier's game-winning three rightfully earned many plaudits, but FC Bayern Basketball would not have got its win against AS Monaco Basket were it not for the play of Nick Weiler-Babb.

Nick Weiler-Babb returned in style as Bayern downed Monaco for very first time

[Shabazz Napier](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/shabazz-napier/011224/) may have earned plenty of plaudits for his game-winning three-pointer in [FC Bayern Munich](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/fc-bayern-munich/mun/)’s [95-94 win over AS Monaco](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/bayern-holds-off-monaco-to-win-thriller-95-94/) on Tuesday night, but had it not been for [Nick Weiler-Babb](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/nick-weiler-babb/010391/)’s defense on [Mike James](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/mike-james/005985/) on the last possession, the visitors could easily have escaped with an epic comeback victory.

A thumb injury sidelined Weiler-Babb for Bayern’s previous two Turkish Airlines EuroLeague contests at Real Madrid and Olympiacos Piraeus – both defeats – yet the 29-year-old guard returned in style to help his team snap a three-game losing streak. It was the club's first-ever win over Monaco, too, having gone 0-7 against the Monegasques since their introduction to the EuroLeague in 2021.

Bayern led by as many as 23 points midway through the second quarter, but Monaco turned the game around and took its first lead (88-90) with 1:25 to go. James took on Weiler-Babb in an iso situation and nailed a mid-range jumper in front of the Germany international to make it 92-94 with just 18 seconds left on the clock. Napier came to the fore on the other end of the floor by drilling a step-back three with 8 seconds remaining, meaning that Monaco would have the last possession of the game.

Enter a locked-in Weiler-Babb, who didn’t allow James to get an open look and forced the EuroLeague all-time top scorer into an airball on a three-point shot.

“It was a tough situation,” Weiler-Babb told EuroLeague TV after the game. “Shabazz hit a big-time shot and on the play right before that, Mike hit a tough one on me. So I took a little pride in getting the stop for the game. Mike is known for making tough shots, so I just had to lock in and do the best I could.”

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Easy choice today 😉 <a href="https://twitter.com/nickbabb12?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@nickbabb12</a> <a href="https://t.co/CSf7O9vNxL">pic.twitter.com/CSf7O9vNxL</a></p>&mdash; FC Bayern Basketball (@FCBBasketball) <a href="https://twitter.com/FCBBasketball/status/1879656284552888639?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 15, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Weiler-Babb’s contribution was extraordinary on both ends. He finished the game with a season-high 18 points, having gone 4 for 7 from beyond the arc. He also registered 6 assists and 3 steals, earning plaudits by Bayern head coach Gordon Herbert for what was a complete performance at SAP Garden on Wednesday night.

“I’ve said this before: my opinion is that he is the best all-around player in Germany,” Herbert said in the postgame press conference. “I could say that he proved me right today. He’s been out for three weeks. To come back from three weeks out and play like this is pretty amazing. 

"He runs the team well. He can organize the game, and I think the biggest thing is that he’s got a purpose on offense and he’s got a presence on defense. He is our best defender. He played tonight with confidence. It’s something you can’t buy at the store – you’ve got to develop it. He shot the ball extremely well.”

Bayern has its glue guy back and it will now be looking to build a winning streak. To do so, the Germans will need to down Virtus Segafredo Bologna at home on Friday night. Already sitting in the playoff spots, a second straight victory could see Bayern climb up the standings again – and Weiler-Babb will make sure to do what it takes for his team to achieve that goal.

Game News

The guard has a telling impact on both ends of the floor

FC Bayern Munich v AS Monaco (2025-01-15T19:30:00.000Z)

Joventut used a balanced attack to defeat Gran Canaria 77-83 and improve to 6-9 in Group A - just one victory behind both Buducnost VOLI Podgorica and Wolves Twinsbet Vilnius for the last spot in the playoff zone

Joventut still breathing after beating Gran Canaria again

Go back to December 11, 2024 and it looked like an almost certainty that the illustrious [Joventut Badalona](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/joventut-badalona/roster/jov/?season=2024-25) would miss the BKT EuroCup playoffs. Fast forward just more than a month and the Spanish side is alive and well in the race for the post-season after knocking off Spanish rival [Dreamland Gran Canaria](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/teams/dreamland-gran-canaria/roster/can/?season=2024-25).

Joventut used a balanced attack [to defeat Gran Canaria 77-83](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/joventut-wins-again-beats-gran-canaria-77-83/) and improve to 6-9 in Group A - just one victory behind both [Buducnost VOLI Podgorica](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/teams/buducnost-voli-podgorica/roster/bud/?season=2024-25) and [Wolves Twinsbet Vilnius](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/wolves-vilnius/roster/wol/?season=2024-25) for the last spot in the playoff zone.

“It’s a good feeling for us. We knew this was a must-win for us. We knew it was a big game on the road. I’m proud of the team, the way they executed. The game plan was solid. We came out and attacked from the beginning. And I liked that about the group,” said Joventut playmaker [Devon Dotson](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/devon-durrell-dotson/013285/), who collected 9 points, 5 rebounds and 8 assists in the win. “Hopefully we can keep it going in the coming weeks and try to make the EuroCup Playoffs.”

Game Videos

Thoughts of the post-season were fading fast back on December 11 as [Joventut lost 88-102](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/ulm-downs-joventut-88-102-for-third-straight-victory/) at home against ratiopharm Ulm to fall to 3-8.

The 2008 EuroCup champion has turned its season around with three wins in the last four EuroCup games. Add the Spanish League and Joventut is 9-1 in its last 10 games. And two of those wins came against Gran Canaria - beating the islanders at home in domestic league action 89-78 on December 30.

“It was the third time we were playing against this team. We adjusted some different things,” said Joventut coach [Daniel Miret](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/joventut-badalona/jov/miret-daniel/?season=U2024), whose team lost to Gran Canaria [76-78 after overtime at home in Round 6](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/nico-brussino-the-hero-as-gran-canaria-beats-joventut-in-ot-76-78/) of the EuroCup.

“We need to keep the momentum. We are in a sweet moment. A lot of players helped the team. We are close to the team that we want to be. We just want to focus on the things that we can control,” added the coach.

One of the main reasons Joventut prevailed was getting the better of Gran Canaria’s three-point defense. [Jaka Lakovic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/dreamland-gran-canaria/can/lakovic-jaka/?season=U2024)’s team had allowed opposing teams to shoot 31.0 percent from long range - good for fourth best in the league. But [Yannick Kraag](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/yannick-kraag/010161/), [Kaiser Gates](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/kaiser-evan-bray-gates/013287/) and [Miye Oni](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/miye-oni/012079/) all made 2 three-pointers as Joventut converted 47.6% of its three-point attempts. That was much higher than the 33.6% the team had been shooting coming into the game.

Seven players scored at least 8 points for Joventut and the team from the Barcelona suburbs is right there in the playoff race - something many thought was next to impossible just more than a month ago.

Joventut downed its Spanish rival for the second time in about two weeks 

Dreamland Gran Canaria v Joventut Badalona (2025-01-15T20:00:00.000Z)

Jabari Parker had 19 of his 25 points in the second half to lead FC Barcelona to an 82-73 victory over Panathinaikos BC.

Jabari Parker lit the fuse for Barcelona's second-half turnaround against Panathinaikos

Things were not looking good for [FC Barcelona](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/fc-barcelona/bar/) in its Round 21 showdown against defending champions [Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/panathinaikos-aktor-athens/pan/). At halftime, all the numbers pointed towards a bad result: Barca had missed all 9 of its 9 three-point shots, was outrebounded by Panathinaikos 18-23 and allowed the Greens to grab 8 offensive boards. [Joan Penarroya](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/fc-barcelona/bar/penarroya-joan/?season=E2024)'s men went into the break trailing 30-38 on the scoreboard.

Barca needed a go-to guy and [Jabari Parker](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/jabari-parker/012745/) immediately stepped up, making sure his team would collect a third consecutive victory. He was the first player to score in the second half, draining a three-pointer, and soon added a fast-break dunk that gave Barca plenty of hope at 38-41. 

Parker was far from done, hitting three more shots from downtown and finding [Dario Brizuela](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/dario-brizuela/009992/) for another one. All that allowed Barca to get a 59-50 lead at the end of the third quarter. Parker outscored the entire Panathinaikos team in the third quarter, 15-12, and had a higher PIR, 16-5.

The 29-year-old forward kept pacing Barca in the fourth quarter, getting help from Brizuela and [Alex Abrines](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/alex-abrines/003478/). Parker scored 19 of his 25 points in the second half, while Brizuela had 11 of his 15 points in the final 12 minutes and Abrines scored his team's last 5 points to help Barca put [the 82-73 victory](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/parker-leads-barcelona-past-the-greens-82-73/) on ice. 

Afterward, Parker highlighted the fact that he played with one of his opponents for four years in the now distant past.

"First and foremost, it's a blessing to share the court with a former teammate of mine \[Kendrick Nunn, Chicago Simeon High School\]. It's only two others that's playing right now from my high-school class, so I don't take that for granted. They had a good team and played well and we gave the fans what they wanted, " Parker said. "All that hard work should make it easier being back in our climate \[Palau Blaugrana\] where we are used to."

FC Barcelona forward Jabari Parker had 19 of his 25 points in the second half to lead his team to an 82-73 victory over Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens.

Parker's outstanding second half against the Greens

Barca did a better job at both ends and once the three-pointers started to fall, that was the ballgame. The hosts buried 9-of-13 three-pointers (69.2% 3FG) after the break and forced Panathinaikos to pick up 12 turnovers in the second half, having had just 2 in the first half. Nunn amassed a PIR of -7 after the interval, missing 9 of his 10 field-goal attempts and picking up 5 turnovers.

Nunn finished the night with 7 points and a PIR of 1. He had scored 25 points or better in each of the last five games, averaging 28.8 points and a PIR of 28.8.

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="ca" dir="ltr">GRAN TRIOMF, BARÇA 💙❤ <a href="https://t.co/hrpGROobWT">pic.twitter.com/hrpGROobWT</a></p>&mdash; Barça Basket (@FCBbasket) <a href="https://twitter.com/FCBbasket/status/1879649020651737313?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 15, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

"We are having a good run and we wanted to make a statement today because they are the defending champs," Brizuela said. "And I think we did it, we played an amazing second half and this is the way for us to keep playing in both leagues, both the EuroLeague and ACB. We are happy about it, but we've got to keep going and keep growing."

After a sub-par first half, the Blaugrana showed their quality after the break

FC Barcelona v Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens (2025-01-15T19:30:00.000Z)

D.J. Seeley, Zavier Simpson and Sasu Salin played key roles by scoring or assisting in 24 of U-BT Cluj-Napoca's 28 fourth-quarter points in Round 15 of the BKT EuroCup

Cluj backcourt made the difference in the end

Having won six out of its last seven games in the competition, [Umana Reyer Venice](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/teams/umana-reyer-venice/roster/vnc/?season=2024-25) came to its game against visiting [U-BT Cluj Napoca](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/u-bt-cluj-napoca/roster/clu/?season=2024-25) as one of the hottest teams of the BKT EuroCup right now. So, when it managed to get ahead late in the third quarter, 60-58, after trailing all game, many thought Reyer would extend its winning streak one more time.

But Cluj didn’t step back at that moment and managed to grab [a 77-88 win in Venice](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/cluj-shocks-venice-on-the-road-77-88/) with a 0-10 run in the last 3 minutes of the game.

“I’m really proud of the way my guys reacted, they were tough,” Cluj head coach [Mihai Silvasan](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/u-bt-cluj-napoca/clu/silvasan-mihai/?season=U2024) celebrated in the press conference. “They were tough in the second half, when Venice came back, evened the game and they even led with one or two points in the third quarter… But we stood tough, we made plays, we focused on each possession, even if we allowed some offensive rebounds.”

That play creation mentioned by Silvasan was enabled by a fantastic performance of his backcourt, with [D.J. Seeley](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/dennis-seeley/004862/), [Zavier Simpson](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/zavier-simpson/013302/) and [Sasu Salin](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/sasu-salin/002820/) playing key roles in that run and also in the entire last period. They were involved - scoring or assisting - in 24 of Cluj's 28 fourth-quarter points, making the difference for their team.

Salin shined in one of the best plays of the game when he dove to the floor to convert a loose ball into an assist for [Adam Mokoka](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/adam-mokoka/012698/)’s dunk early in the last quarter and became the go-to guy in the last 3 minutes by drilling a couple of threes in the 0-10 final spark that helped Cluj close the game.

But Salin’s winning shots wouldn’t have been relevant without Simpson's steady performance. The competition's assist leader took the reins when his team needed and delivered 11 points, 4 assists, 2 rebounds and 3 fouls drawn in the last 10 minutes. He finished with 25 points, 6 boards, 7 assists and 8-of-8 shooting from the line to record a career-high PIR of 36, completing a game to remember.

“It was good. Obviously, it was a tough atmosphere. The fans were really engaged, so that's always good when playing an away game,” Simpson said after the game. “We played against a good team, but we executed. They made a run in the third quarter... So I'm just happy my team was able to stick together in the tough environment, be able to come with the dub, they trusted me down the line to make plays, not just for myself, but also for others."

This win game also gave Cluj an advantage against Reyer on a potential tie-breaker at the end of the regular season, after the Romanian champs defeated the Reyer twice this season.

“I’m really happy for this win. It was a very important game for us," Silvasan continued. “They won the last five games in both competitions, so they were in pretty good shape... We managed to win, which put us in a good spot before our next game against Turk Telekom. We are enjoying this win but we have three more games and we must stay focused.”

Seeley, Salin and Simpson combined for 20 points in the fourth quarter

Umana Reyer Venice v U-BT Cluj-Napoca (2025-01-15T19:00:00.000Z)

Bahcesehir improved to 13-2 on the season, and has a three game lead over Dreamland Gran Canaria, the second-place team in the group, and the only other team that could reach 13 wins in this group. But since Bahcesehir won their head-to-head tiebreaker, it has secured the first place.

Bahcesehir’s character showed up to clinch first place

[Bahcesehir College Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/teams/bahcesehir-college-istanbul/roster/bah/?season=2024-25) can fly back home from Poland very happy. Even though it was not pretty against the last-placed host, [Trefl Prokom](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/trefl-sopot/roster/tso/?season=2024-25), Bahcesehir pulled out a victory [to clinch first place](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/bahcesehir-rallies-against-trefl-to-win-group-a/) in Group A.

Bahcesehir improved to 13-2 on the season, and has a three game lead over Dreamland Gran Canaria, the second-place team in the group, and the only other team that could reach 13 wins in this group. But since Bahcesehir won their head-to-head tiebreaker, it has secured first place.

And that’s a big deal, because it means Bahcesehir has not only clinched a direct berth in the quarterfinals, but there it will have home-court advantage, the same as in the best-of-three semis.

But, the victory against Trefl, which has only won one game this season was everything but easy. The hosts led by 18 points midway through the second quarter, and had dominated in all segments of the game.

“We didn’t play well from the beginning, except the last few minutes of the second quarter,” Bahcesehir head coach [Dejan Radonjic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/bahcesehir-college-istanbul/bah/radonjic-dejan/?season=U2024) said. “So many mistakes, defensively we were soft, and offensively was also not good.”

But a strong finish to the second quarter, a 2-12 run that cut the deficit to 45-37 got Bahcesehir going, and the team carried that momentum into the second half.

“The second half, we changed our approach”, Radonjic said. “Our defense was totally different, we played tough, very focused with a lot of energy.”

The team erased the deficit, and went in front in the fourth quarter after back-to-back triples from [Sehmus Hazer](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/sehmus-hazer/011201/) and [Jaleen Smith](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/jaleen-smith/011192/), but Trefl did not give up and the two team were tied entering the final minute.

That’s when Bahcesehir put the ball into the hands of its two most experienced players. Smith, who starred with 25 points and 9 rebounds, made a tough runner, then [Axel Bouteille](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/axel-bouteille/003840/) made a tough baseline jumper, compensating for a rough night during which he made only 2 of his 8 field goal attempts.

Those two baskets gave Bahcesehir a 74-78 lead with 30 seconds to go, before Smith sealed the deal from the foul line.

“Credit to our team, we fought well to get back in it,” Smith said. “It just speaks of the character of our team.”

Because of the fight, energy and character, now all roads to the EuroCup Finals lead through Istanbul, where Bahcesehir is 8-0.

Thanks to a change of approach in the second half, Bahcesehir rallied from 18 points down on the road

Trefl Sopot v Bahcesehir College Istanbul (2025-01-15T18:00:00.000Z)

Dreamland Gran Canaria-Joventut Badalona | Round 15 Highlights | 2024-25 BKT EuroCup   

Fenerbahce Beko scored a season-high 96 points in its 91-96 win at KK Crvena zvezda to rise up to second in the EuroLeague standings, with offense being central to the team's win.

Red-hot offense carried Fenerbahce past Crvena Zvezda

[Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/fenerbahce-beko-istanbul/ulk/) took a big step towards securing a postseason berth in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague on Wednesday night after sound three-point shooting propelled the competition’s 2017 champion to [a vital 91-96 win at Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/rampant-fenerbahce-earns-big-road-win-at-crvena-zvezda-91-96/), which is a season high in points for Saras Jasikevicius's men.

The result left Fenerbahce second in the standings (following [AS Monaco’s loss at FC Bayern Munich](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/bayern-holds-off-monaco-to-win-thriller-95-94/) a little later on Wednesday) with a 13-7 record while Zvezda slipped to ninth with a 12-9 mark, as a fiercely competitive regular season looks set for a dramatic finale in the battle for postseason spots.

The outcome also produced a third successive victory for Fenerbahce and simultaneously ended Zvezda’s four-game winning streak, with the visitors hitting an impressive 17 of 35 from downtown to silence a fervent home crowd inside Belgrade Arena.

Among a pack of impressive performers, forward [Nigel Hayes-Davis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/nigel-hayes-davis/008962/) stood out with a game-high 27points,s which earned him the player of the game accolade. [Nicolo Melli](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/nicolo-melli/002849/) also sank a season-high 16 points to go with 7 boards.

“We took some steps in the right direction and although I sound like a broken record, the goal in a EuroLeague season is to constantly get better,” Hayes-Davis said in his postgame comments, underscoring the importance of consistency.

“Tonight we did a fantastic job moving and sharing the ball, as that’s something we wanted to work on. We need to work on defense as that’s where we are going to hang our hat on if we want to accomplish anything this year.”

Melli pointed out that it is going to be a thin line between success and failure this season, with a bunch of teams breathing down each other’s necks in the battle to advance into the business end of Europe’s premier club competition.

“We knocked down shots and that allowed us to win the game,” the Italian veteran said. “We wanted to win this game after losing the last one \[against Zvezda at home\] as every game is almost like a final at this stage. Two losses and you’re out of the playoffs; two wins and you’re top of the rankings. We’re happy because we won on a very tough court against a very good team.”

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="tr" dir="ltr">Bizimkiler! 💛💙<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/Ocr6ZAZm6p">pic.twitter.com/Ocr6ZAZm6p</a></p>&mdash; Fenerbahçe Beko (@FBBasketbol) <a href="https://twitter.com/FBBasketbol/status/1879644313858277763?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 15, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

[Coach Jasikevicius](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/fenerbahce-beko-istanbul/ulk/jasikevicius-saras/) also praised his team’s smooth offense which generated 22 assists and a mere 6 turnovers, as it also produced 8 steals for Fenerbahce.

“We were fantastic offensively pretty much the whole game,” said the Lithuanian tactician. “Defensively we were good in the second and third quarter but in the end it got a little bit dangerous when they started coming back. Overall, it was a great performance by the boys.”

Zvezda head coach [Ioannis Sfairopoulos](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/crvena-zvezda-meridianbet-belgrade/red/sfairopoulos-ioannis/?season=E2024) conceded that the Serbian side was dismantled by Fenerbahce’s superior offense. “We tried different things in an effort to stop them but they kept finding ways to score,” he said. “Our defense was just not good enough for this type of game.”  

Next up for Fenerbahce is a home game against Zalgiris Kaunas while Zvezda entertains AS Monaco on Friday, with more fascinating basketball in store at the end of the double-round week.

The visiting team thrived from long-range shooting which forced the Serbian side into submission

Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade v Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul (2025-01-15T19:00:00.000Z)

Joventut Badalona refuses to give up in its fight for the playoffs as it downed Dreamland Gran Canaria 77-83 on the road to continue its great run of play

Joventut wins again, beats Gran Canaria 77-83 

Joventut Badalona refuses to give up in its fight for the playoffs as it downed Dreamland Gran Canaria 77-83 on the road to continue its great run of play. Joventut took control of the game with a 0-13 third-quarter run for its third win in the last four games in the EuroCup. That takes its record to 6-9 in Group A. Joventut improved to 2-6 on the road as it collected its ninth victory in the last 10 games in the Spanish League and EuroCup combined.

Kassius Robertson and Sam Dekker led the way with 13 points each, Artem Pustovyi had 10 points and 7 rebounds and Devon Dotson chipped in 9 points and 8 assists. Joventut clinched its first win in the EuroCup against its Spanish rivals, having lost in the 2023 semifinals as well as Round 6 this season. Gran Canaria has now lost three of its last four EuroCup games for a 10-5 record. John Shurna finished with 14 points and Mike Tobey had 13 points in the loss.

The game was tight in the early going with Yannick Kraag and Tobey both scoring 5 points for their respective teams as the scoeboard showed 13-13. Gran Canaria had a strong finish to the first quarter with George Conditt scoring 6 points in a 10-2 run over the final nearly 4 minutes to lead 23-15 after 10 minutes.

Joventut stepped up its play in the second quarter with Kaiser Gates and Robertson burying three-pointers to make it 23-21. Dekker scored 6 points and Dotson added 4 in a 4-14 Joventut charge to open a 32-37 advantage. The hosts finished the second quarter strong as well with the final 5 points to send the teams even 37-37 into the break.

Adam Hanga tallied the first 5 points of the second half to make it 37-42 only to have Pierre Pelos and Tobey bury triples at the other end to put Gran Canaria back ahead 45-44. The host’s offense dried up without a point for more than 4 minutes while Kraag and Miye Oni bookended a 0-13 run with three-pointers for a 45-57 lead. A Guillem Vives increased the visitors’ advantage to 48-62, and the score was 50-62 after three quarters.

Another Oni triple opened the final quarter and it was 50-65 for the guests. Gran Canaria could only trade baskets over the next few minutes and it was 58-72 with 6 minutes to go. Mehdy Ngouama cut the game to single digits 63-72 with a three-pointer but Pustovyi and Robertson answered at the other end and it was 63-76 with only 4 minutes to play. Dekker’s corner triple had Joventut up 69-81 with 111 seconds left. Ngouama gave Joventut a scare with 5 quick points to pull within 77-81 with 35 seconds to go. But Robertson iced the game by making 2 free throws with 17 seconds remaining.

Joventut will not give up its playoff chances without a fight 

It depends on who you ask. Was Buducnost VOLI Podgorica lucky to beat Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv on Wednesday night? Or did the Montenegrin champs deserve to win because they were sharper in many "details"? 

Buducnost paired details and luck to defeat Hapoel

It depends on who you ask. Was [Buducnost VOLI Podgorica](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/buducnost-voli-podgorica/roster/bud/?season=2024-25) lucky to beat [Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/teams/hapoel-shlomo-tel-aviv/roster/hta/?season=2024-25) on Wednesday night? Or did the Montenegrin champs deserve to win because they were sharper in many "details"?

Ironically, the man who summed up the game with Buducnost being lucky to claim a come-from-behind [84-83 home win](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/buducnost-rallies-past-hapoel-84-83/) was that team's head coach!

"As you saw, it was a very tough game. Like some of the games this season that we didn’t have luck in the end, today we were lucky in the end," Coach [Andrej Zakelj](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/buducnost-voli-podgorica/bud/zakelj-andrej/?season=U2024) said in the post-game press conference. "I think most important is that with 5 minutes to go, we were behind and the players believed they could win. They showed character, they fought and in the end, it paid off."

In fact, with 8 minutes to go, Buducnost was down 13. With 1 minute to go, Hapoel led by 8 and seemed to have the game wrapped up. But in the final 60 seconds, the hosts did not miss a shot, making 1 three-pointer, 2 two-pointers and 3 free throws. Meanwhile, Hapoel missed 2 field goals and was 1 for 4 from the foul line. If any of the above numbers change, Hapoel wins the game.

"The game was very exciting," Hapoel head coach [Dimitris Itoudis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/hapoel-shlomo-tel-aviv/hta/itoudis-dimitris/?season=U2024) said. "Details decided the game. Congratulations to Buducnost for the win. It could have gone a different way. It could have gone our way. It would have been deserved because we played good basketball. But in the game of basketball, details are very important. Free throws, rebounds, turnovers.

"The fact that we had 17 turnovers and we allowed them to stay in the game in the first half with 9 offensive boards and scoring out of that 15 points, that’s too much."

There is a reason Itoudis harped on those three stats. Hapoel outperformed Buducnost in most other areas and had a team PIR of 94 compared to Buducnost’s 86. But on free throws, Buducnost was 85 percent (17 of 20), while Hapoel was 62.5% (10 of 16).

[Yam Madar](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/yam-madar/011052/) entered the game shooting 95% for the season (19 for 20) before missing twice, including once in the final minute. [Ish Wainright](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/ishmail-carzell-wainright/013284/), who missed the other 2 late free throws for Hapoel, hadn’t missed multiple foul shots in a game since Round 2.

Meanwhile, [Fletcher Magee](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/fletcher-magee/012630/), the player [Patrick Beverley](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/patrick-beverley/001927/) fouled in the closing seconds who made the game-winning free throws for Buducnost, is his team’s best foul shooting at 94.3% (33 for 35) on the season.

Buducnost’s rebounding advantage at first seems marginal, 29-28. But the home team grabbed 12 offensive boards – including 5 from [Alen Omic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/alen-omic/004222/) – and had 19 second-chance points. Hapoel had just 8 offensive rebounds and 11 second-chance points.

And finally turnovers. Hapoel’s 17 were 4 more than Buducnost. And Buducnost’s 15 points off turnovers were 5 more than Hapoel had.

Add it all up and you get a sweet victory for Buducnost. And a long trip home for Hapoel, which will have to go to work on the details.

Free throws, rebounds and turnovers were key in Podgorica 

Buducnost VOLI Podgorica v Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv (2025-01-15T18:00:00.000Z)

FC Bayern Munich guard Carsen Edwards spoke to EuroLeague TV after his team beat AS Monaco in Round 21 of the 2024-25 EuroLeague season.

Carsen Edwards: 'Shout-out to Nick Weiler-Babb with the big stop'

FC Bayern Munich guard Carsen Edwards spoke to EuroLeague TV after his team beat AS Monaco in Round 21 of the 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.

FC Bayern Munich-AS Monaco | RS Round 21 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

FC Barcelona forward Jabari Parker spoke to EuroLeague TV after his team beat Panathinaikos BC in Round 21 of the 2024-25 EuroLeague season.

Jabari Parker: 'We gave the fans what they wanted'

FC Barcelona forward Jabari Parker spoke to EuroLeague TV after his team beat Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens in Round 21 of the 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.

FC Barcelona-Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens | RS Round 21 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

Chimezie Metu stops the advantage and goes for it to detonate a two-handed slam!

Air Metu! Motorola Magic Moment of the Night

 Chimezie Metu stops the advantage and goes for it to detonate a two-handed slam!

Alexander leaps sky high to flush it down the rim

Flying Alexander! Magic Moment of the Night

 Alexander leaps sky high to flush it down the rim

Turk Telekom Ankara v Veolia Towers Hamburg (2025-01-15T16:30:00.000Z)

FC Bayern Basketball recorded its first win over AS Monaco Basket by winning 95-94, with Shabazz Napier draining a three-pointer with eight seconds remaining to wrap up the win.

Bayern holds off Monaco to win thriller, 95-94

FC Bayern Munich returned to winning ways by edging AS Monaco 95-94 on Wednesday night at SAP Garden. The hosts led by the majority of the game, with Monaco trailing by as many as 23 points (46-23) midway through the second quarter. The visitors pulled off an epic comeback to take their first lead (88-90) with 1:25 left on the clock, but Shabazz Napier drilled a huge triple to win it for Bayern. The German side improved its record to 12-9, with Monaco dropping to 13-8.

Carsen Edwards led all scorers with 25 points, while Nick Weiler-Babb netted a season-high 18 points. Napier and Booker nailed four triples each to finish the game on 17 points apiece. Mike James paced Monaco with 20 points, Jordan Loyd had 16, Matthew Strazel scored 14, Elie Okobo bagged 12 and Mam Jaiteh added 10.

Niels Giffey opened the scoring from behind the arc before a layup by Edwards gave Bayern a 5-0 lead. Strazel and Alpha Diallo responded with back-to-back jumpers, but Weiler-Babb and Johannes Voigtmann drained one each from deep to restore an 11-6 cushion. Edwards took over with five straight points that extended Bayern’s run to 8-0 and opened a double-digit lead. The hosts refused to take their feet off the gas, as Edwards, Booker and Weiler-Babb nailed triples that swelled the lead to 25-8. Okobo and Voigtmann exchanged three-pointers before a floater from Elias Harris gave Bayern a 30-13 lead after 10 minutes.

Monaco opened the second quarter with a 2-8 run inspired by Nick Calathes, who produced 3 assists to cut the difference to 32-21. Yet, Andreas Obst netted inside, Napier scored his first five points of the game and Booker nailed back-to-back triples for a 46-23 cushion. James and Voigtmann traded threes before an open layup from Weiler-Babb allowed Bayern to maintain a 51-30 lead. Yet, Monaco responded with a 2-10 surge fueled by James and Jaiteh, who helped cut the deficit to 53-40 at halftime.

Loyd hit a buzzer-beating jumper to start the third quarter before a hook shot from Jaiteh and back-to-back triples from Terry Tarpey slashed the deficit to single digits, 56-50, for the first time since the first quarter. Yet, three points from Edwards and a triple by Weiler-Babb restored a 62-50 lead for the hosts. But James replied with a three-point play and Okobo nailed one from beyond the rainbow to make it 62-56. Then, Edwards added 10 points to his tally and Napier nailed a couple of triples to open a 78-64 lead. But four straight points from Strazel brought Monaco back within 78-68 heading into the fourth quarter.

Strazel and Loyd netted inside before a triple by the former trimmed the deficit to 80-77. Booker answered with five points in a row, but Strazel nailed another three to make it a two-point game, 85-83. Weiler-Babb drilled his fourth triple of the night, yet Loyd netted five consecutive points to tie it, 88-88. Jaiteh scored inside for Monaco’s first lead of the night, before Edwards responded with a jumper at the other end. Then James made a long two-pointer, but Booker tied it again from the line with 0:38 left on the clock. James nailed another jumper, however there was another Bayern response as Napier drained a triple to put the hosts back ahead, 95-94, with 8 seconds remaining. James was off the mark with his shot on the final possession as Bayern clinched the victory.

Monaco came back from 23 points down, but Shabazz Napier sealed it from deep


Sylvain Francisco and Arnas Butkevicius both enjoyed huge roles as Zalgiris Kaunas ended its losing streak with a 77-68 win over Virtus Bologna in Round 21.

The Francisco and Butkevicius show brought joy back to Zalgirio Arena

[Zalgiris Kaunas](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/zalgiris-kaunas/zal/) is renowned for having some of the best fans in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague, yet they arrived at Zalgirio Arena on Wednesday night having seen three straight defeats on their home floor and four successive losses overall. [Sylvain Francisco](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/sylvain-francisco/007975/) and [Arnas Butkevicius](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/arnas-butkevicius/002676/), however, ensured that this time the supporters could go happy after [a 77-68 triumph over Virtus Segafredo Bologna](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/sylvain-francisco-scores-20-as-zalgiris-topples-virtus-77-68/).

Butkevicius certainly left his mark in the first quarter, recording 2 early steals, the second of which stopped an almost guaranteed bucket by Achille Polonara, who was alone under Zalgiris’s rim. When his deep three-pointer dropped, the hosts held a 16-4 advantage and the wind was in their sails, thanks in large part to the Lithuanian forward.

Needing a leader after a tough run that had seen Zalgiris lose to LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne (72-78), Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv (95-78), Olympiacos Piraeus (85-92) and Real Madrid (64-83), Butkevicius was determined to be that man. His hustle on both ends was leading to loud roars from the crowd, no more so than when he chased back to block Alessandro Pajola before then hitting a three-pointer down the other end just eight seconds later. At the break, he had 6 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals and 1 block, emphasizing his do-it-all nature.

Francisco, meanwhile, had 6 first-quarter points but didn’t add to his tally again until the third, when he started the second half with a bomb from downtown – his third from 4 attempts. He added another triple in the third frame, but – as EuroLeague and Zalgiris fans have become accustomed to – he really showed his quality in the final stages.  

With his fifth three-pointer on the night early in the fourth, Francisco was finding get out of jail free cards for a Zalgiris offense that was starting to look stagnant. He also displayed his playmaking ability, driving to the rim but showing the patience needed to find teammate [Alen Smailagic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/alen-smailagic/011051/) for a dunk. Inside the final 2:11 minutes, that is when Francisco really stood up for Zalgiris.

Virtus was looking confident at 70-66 and Zalgiris found itself in the penalty, but Francisco showed great determination to lock in on Matt Morgan and block the guard’s shot, with the ball rebounding off the Virtus player and giving possession back to the hosts. At the other end, Francisco danced with Morgan before draining a mid-range jumper to put Zalgiris 72-66 ahead. But he wasn’t stopping there.

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">He delivered when it was needed the most. 🫡 <a href="https://t.co/7j7hZ5R97W">pic.twitter.com/7j7hZ5R97W</a></p>&mdash; BC Zalgiris Kaunas (@bczalgiris) <a href="https://twitter.com/bczalgiris/status/1879635615253504057?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 15, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Butkevicius almost put the win on ice with another deep three-point shot, but the ball bounced in and out, leaving the score 72-68 entering the final minute. Even if nerves could have set in, Francisco stayed ice-cold by driving past Andrejs Grazulis and scoring a layup with 40 seconds remaining to give Zalgiris a 74-68 edge, with Butkevicius and Francisco then converting free throws to secure the 77-68 victory – Zalgiris’s first of 2025 and first since December 17.

“I know we lost a couple of games, especially here. I think we fixed what we’re supposed to do. I think we were more locked in and made right decisions \[compared\] to other games,” Francisco told EuroLeague TV afterward.

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">A moment to remember! 💭💚 <a href="https://t.co/HUDWLkQaR1">pic.twitter.com/HUDWLkQaR1</a></p>&mdash; BC Zalgiris Kaunas (@bczalgiris) <a href="https://twitter.com/bczalgiris/status/1879623632982540768?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 15, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Certainly, with Butkevicius and Francisco stepping up at different points, Zalgiris got a taste of the winning feeling once more – something the fans more than deserved for their passionate, continuous support.

Both players were at their best in Round 21

Zalgiris Kaunas v Virtus Segafredo Bologna (2025-01-15T18:00:00.000Z)

Fenerbahce Beko forward Nigel Hayes-Davis spoke to EuroLeague TV after his team beat KK Crvena zvezda in Round 21 of the 2024-25 EuroLeague season.

Nigel Hayes-Davis: 'We took a better step forward offensively'

Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul forward Nigel Hayes-Davis spoke to EuroLeague TV after his team beat Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade in Round 21 of the 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.