Name: Jerian Grant: 'Guys were hurt, we had to step up'
Channel: Euroleague Basketball

Check out what the coaches and players are saying ahead of Round 20 of the 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.

Pregame quotes hub: Round 20

## Friday, January 10

### Anadolu Efes Istanbul vs. LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne (18:30 CET)

\--

### Zalgiris Kaunas vs. Real Madrid (19:00 CET)

**Andrea Trinchieri, Zalgiris Kaunas head coach**

"I would be not super smart, not smart enough, if I would think that the development of the game will be similar to the game that we played in Madrid. They have played better in the last few games, going on a winning streak, and if the talent decides the strength of the team, it's one of the best. We need to be ready to play a different game. The thing is that I see my players every day, I see how we work, and I believe that tomorrow we will need the support of everybody because my team just needs a win to get back on track. We had one so-so performance, one terrible performance, one great performance, but the result didn't change. We played different; the Olympiacos game was really, really good, especially in the first half. We just need to play tomorrow not thinking about the single possession, think about the effort on 40 minutes, team plays on offense, team defense, and the unbelievable support of all Zalgiris fans. We need a little bit of electricity in the air, we need a bit of a push, we need a bit of everything because the only thing that my team needs is a good performance for 40 minutes. With the help of everybody, I believe that we can have it."

**Chus Mateo, Real Madrid head coach**

"Zalgiris is a team that plays with a lot of energy at home, that is defending really well, that rebounds well and that is capable of beating anyone. We have to play a very complete game during the 40 minutes, without letting ourselves out of the game, because we know that they have players of great quality and a deep and very complete bench."

**Dzanan Musa, Real Madrid forward**

"Zalgiris is a very aggressive team in their game and very difficult to win in front of their fans. They are playing very well, but we are in good rhythm and I think if we close the defensive rebounding and if we run and defend well we can have a chance to win."

### Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade vs. Paris Basketball (20:00 CET)

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

"Paris will be a very demanding opponent who already have six wins away from home. They are extremely dangerous. Their style of play is such that if they catch you in their rhythm, you will have problems. So we have to play our game, control the rhythm and spoil the way they are attacking. We expect a big battle and that our fans will help."

**Nemanja Nedović, Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade guard**

"We are playing at home, we hope it will be the best atmosphere so far. I think we deserved these two wins in Spain, and we hope to win again. I think that here in January the season breaks, one way or the other, but we are also aware that a lot depends on us. Paris is a team that plays quite fast, and atypical for today's basketball, but I think we know how to beat them, we showed that in the first game, and I think we will be ready to face everything that awaits us on Friday."

### Olympiacos Piraeus vs. FC Bayern Munich (20:15 CET)

**Georgios Bartzokas, Olympiacos Piraeus head coach**

"It is a very difficult game against a very good team, especially on offense. They have scoring guards who determine the game. Unfortunately, the timing is not good for us. We are missing Fournier and Papanikolaou. Both caught a virus, and they will miss the game. This fact makes our job even more difficult. Bayern has proven this season that they are a team with stability, not a shooting star. They have consistency, and they have made some big wins. It is going to be a very demanding game; that’s why all players must be ready to fight. All together and individually, we must fulfill our role in order to get the win."

**Luca Vildoza, Olympiacos Piraeus guard**

"It is a tough game. Bayern is a good team, and they are in good shape, regardless of their loss against Real Madrid. They will come here determined to defeat us; that’s why we must be ready for a tough game. After all, we play on our home court, with our fans on our side, and everything is in our favor."

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

"This is the tough part of the schedule: we play on Friday, Sunday, Wednesday, and then Friday again within eight days. We have injuries, but every team has to deal with that; we just have to push through, and resistance shapes you. If you're aiming to make the EuroLeague playoffs, the coming weeks are the big games. Of course, it would be great to stay in first place in the BBL, but you can still go into the playoffs later as the second, third, or fourth seed. I always watch a lot of EuroLeague games, and Olympiacos especially, because they have their style, move the ball excellently, and just know how to play. They undoubtedly have an incredible amount of quality."

### Virtus Segafredo Bologna vs. Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz (20:45 CET)

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

"Baskonia is a very good team, with an athletic roster, and in the last game of the Spanish championship they proved once again that they are a level team. A few weeks ago in the first game we won, we were lucky, we remember that but tomorrow we will have to play better to win."

**Rayjon Tucker, Virtus Segafredo Bologna guard**

"I expect a tough game, we know how the first game went a short time ago, with Will's basket and that's also why it will be tough. Obviously we are a bit of an emergency but that should not affect us in wanting to win the game. We will have to play hard and focused, putting attention on the small details."

## Thursday, January 9

### Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul vs. ALBA Berlin (18:45 CET)

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

"ALBA Berlin is coming off a big win against Bayern. It was a big comeback for them. Like always, the most important points against Alba are to take care of their transition defense, their activity and not so much pick-and-roll related offenses as much as the off picks, so really concentrate on the off picks."

**Marko Guduric, Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul guard**

"We play against a good team that likes to run. They share the ball very well offensively. We just have to try to do the same job as last game; try to think about ourselves, our defense, and the most important thing, try to win the game and protect our home court."

**Israel Gonzalez, ALBA Berlin head coach**

"We definitely want to take the confidence boost from our win against Bayern in the domestic league into the EuroLeague game against Fenerbahçe. We want to be more consistent and continue to improve our defense."

**Malte Delow, ALBA Berlin guard**

"We have to take the energy from the game against Bayern into the new week. New week, new opponents, new challenges. We'll fight our way from game to game, have to confirm our performance from Sunday and also want to take another step forward in the EuroLeague."

### AS Monaco vs. FC Barcelona (19:00 CET)

**Nick Calathes, AS Monaco guard**

"Yes, it was an intense time with Barcelona, but I'm going to concentrate on the game and the result. We need to protect our home advantage – we've got three road fixtures next. It's a big duel, Barcelona need a win and we need to keep that same appetite for victory. I know we'll be highly motivated. Objectively, we want to stay top of the standings. It's going to be a big game, with great players on both sides of the floor."

**Youssoupha Fall, FC Barcelona center**

"Now we are in a tough moment, it's not really easy for us. But we're still good competitors and we want to win everything. We will do everything to try to beat Monaco tomorrow. It's a difficult game because now they play better than before; they have a new coach and they don't have injuries. They play good. I watched the last game of Monaco, and they really play good. We just have to play tough, play our game. No matter what is happening, we are still Barcelona, we have good players. We just have to play good, play our game, and I think we will win."

### Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv vs. EA7 Emporio Armani Milan (20:05 CET)

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

"They are in excellent form, playing exceptionally well after a somewhat slower start to the season. They are very dangerous, an outstanding shooting team with two versatile and dominant big men. This is a tough defensive team."

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

"For us, we're just preaching a lot of the things Coach tells us: keep trying to get better on the defensive end, keeping the flow on offense, and just playing together. We know that basketball is a game of runs so there's going to be a lot of ups and down; we just need to withstand those runs and try to build some runs of our own."

**David DeJulius, Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv guard**

"We have a brilliant coaching staff. As players, we've got to continue to grow together. It's a long season, 10-month season, so you've just got to weather the storm. It's about ups and downs; we've been down for a while, now we've just got to climb up."

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

"For obvious and known reasons, outside the realm of sports, Maccabi is living a not so easy season. However, its record is not mirroring what they have shown on the court: even when they lost, they lost competing through the end. They are a team with a clear identity, based on rhythm and ball movement, with players capable to solve the most complicated situation with their one-on-one moves. Keep them from deciding the tempo of the game, through controlling the boards and an accurate shot selection, will be crucial for our chances of winning a difficult game."

### Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens vs. Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade (20:15 CET)

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

"Partizan is an extremely good team. I like their style of play, they have very offensive players, and inside, they have experienced players like Brandon Davies and Tyrique Jones. But mostly, of course, their game depends on their perimeter players: Carlik Jones, Sterling Brown, Frank Ntilikina, Duane Washington, who has averaged 17 or 18 points the last few games. It will be a very difficult, tough game. For sure, we need to be aggressive, we need to create a very aggressive atmosphere like we had in Belgrade; we had a very aggressive atmosphere there, so at the end of the game we lost by a huge difference. We need the same contribution here with our fans, and we need to fight for every ball."

**Jerian Grant, Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens guard**

"They've got a point guard \[Carlik Jones\] who can create, they've got a big in Tyrique \[Jones\] who can go up and get it, so we're focusing on them. But they've got a team full of players who can play. They beat us pretty bad when we were there, so it's a game that we want and we need. We've been talking about it, we know what happened there, and we're excited to be able to play them here at home."

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

"Panathinaikos is back in top form, consistently securing dominant victories with significant score differences. Despite the absence of the injured Mathias Lessort, they’ve shown their depth and adaptability. We’re talking about a team that is not only a European champion but also built to chase the highest ambitions in basketball. They're already promising a fierce rematch with an electrifying atmosphere, similar to what we created in the Arena. They’ll undoubtedly aim to perform far better than they did in the previous game. For us, that’s an extra challenge and motivation to prove we can compete head-to-head with the very best teams in Europe."

**Carlik Jones, Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade guard**

"We’re looking forward to the game ahead. We played exceptionally well against them at home, but we know this will be a completely different game. It’s going to be extremely tough and demanding, as we fully expect them to come out with more energy and deliver a much stronger performance than they did in Belgrade. We know what lies ahead, and we are ready."

Pregame quotes hub: 'We need a little bit of electricity in the air'

Virtus Segafredo Bologna v Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz (2025-01-10T19:45:00.000Z)

Olympiacos Piraeus v FC Bayern Munich (2025-01-10T19:15:00.000Z)

Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade v Paris Basketball (2025-01-10T19:00:00.000Z)

Zalgiris Kaunas v Real Madrid (2025-01-10T18:00:00.000Z)

Anadolu Efes Istanbul v LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne (2025-01-10T17:30:00.000Z)

Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens v Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade (2025-01-09T19:15:00.000Z)

Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv v EA7 Emporio Armani Milan (2025-01-09T19:05:00.000Z)

AS Monaco v FC Barcelona (2025-01-09T18:00:00.000Z)

Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul v ALBA Berlin (2025-01-09T17:45:00.000Z)

Fenerbahce Beko bolstered its banged-up backcourt by signing veteran guard Errick McCollum for the remainder of the season.

Fenerbahce pads backcourt with Errick McCollum

[Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/fenerbahce-beko-istanbul/ulk/) has bolstered its banged-up backcourt by signing veteran guard [Errick McCollum](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/errick-mccollum/profile/005216/) for the remainder of the season. 

McCollum (1.88 meters, 36 years old) joins Fenerbahce after spending the past two and half seasons in the Turkish League with Pinar Karsiyaka. He averaged 16 points and 5.2 assists in 12 Turkish League games this season.

McCollum brings a wealth of experience at the top levels of Europe, including two seasons in the EuroLeague. The first of those came with Fenerbahce’s cross-town rival Anadolu Efes Istanbul in 2017-18 and the second was with Khimki Moscow Region in 2020-21. He averaged 13.1 points and 2.3 assists with 57 EuroLeague games between those seasons.

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="und" dir="ltr">Errick McCollum Fenerbahçe Beko’da! ✍️💛💙<br><br>👉 <a href="https://t.co/0OGxzX9882">https://t.co/0OGxzX9882</a> <a href="https://t.co/uLNXd8yR5V">pic.twitter.com/uLNXd8yR5V</a></p>&mdash; Fenerbahçe Beko (@FBBasketbol) <a href="https://twitter.com/FBBasketbol/status/1877626865600397462?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 10, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

The 2015-16 EuroCup MVP, McCollum left his mark on that competition, which he won with Galatasaray Istanbul in 2016. McCollum also played for Panionios Athens, UNICS Kazan and Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar in the EuroCup. He is third all-time in EuroCup scoring with 1,489 points. 

McCollum previously played professionally for Elitzur Netanya and Hapoel Kfar Saba in Israel, Apollon Patras in Greece, and Zhejiang and Beikong in China.

More Fenerbahce News

The guard returns to the EuroLeague for the first time since the 2020-21 season

Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens stayed firmly on course to reach the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague playoffs with a 96-84 home win over Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade, which lifted the Greens into second place in the standings on a 13-7 record.

Shorthanded Panathinaikos showed the makings of a champion 

[Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/panathinaikos-bc-athens/roster/pan/?season=2024-25) stayed firmly on course to reach the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague playoffs with [a 96-84 home win](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/panathinaikos-rolls-on-with-emphatic-96-84-win-over-partizan/) over [Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/partizan-nis-belgrade/roster/par/?season=2024-25), which lifted the Greens into second place in the standings on a 13-7 record.

The victory was all the more impressive given that the Greek side missed a number of key players through injury, namely point guards [Kostas Sloukas](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/kostas-sloukas/001926/) and [Lorenzo Brown](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/lorenzo-brown/009622/) as well as center [Mathias Lessort](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/mathias-lessort/003842/), who is out for the long term with a fractured fibula.

In their absence, several players stepped up big time and carried Panathinaikos to a convincing win as the Greens led by 23 points late in the game, before taking their foot off the gas in closing stages.

Ejected in the dying minutes of the reverse fixture when he had a forgettable night, [Kendrick Nunn](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/kendrick-nunn/012774/) came back with a vengeance to score 25 points as Panathinaikos got sweet revenge for a 91-73 drubbing they suffered in the cauldron of the Belgrade Arena.

Game Videos

On Thursday, the hosts turned their OAKA Arena into a fortress as [Jerian Grant](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/jerian-grant/011204/) produced a masterclass performance with a career-high PIR of 33, while [Omer Yurtseven](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/omer-yurtseven/005353/) dished out a majestic second half when he scored 16 of his 17 points.

The effort, complemented by 18 points from [Cedi Osman](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/cedi-osman/004088/) and 15 by [Juancho Hernangomez](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/juancho-hernangomez/012712/), who also collected 8 rebounds, pleased the home team’s head coach [Ergin Ataman](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/panathinaikos-aktor-athens/pan/ataman-ergin/?season=E2024) who heaped praise on his team’s top performers.

“It’s an amazing victory, perhaps the most important of the season so far because without Brown and Sloukas we had to play a different kind of basketball,” the Turkish tactician said in his post-game comments.

“Amazing defense, we moved the ball well thanks to Grant who had a perfect game. We never make excuses \[for injuries\]. Mathias Lessort is the best center in the EuroLeague, but Omer Yurtseven did a great job tonight. We also missed Brown and Sloukas but Nunn, Grant and Cedi Osman managed very well in their absence. We showed the character of a champion.”

Grant, who amassed 14 points, 8 assists and 7 rebounds in an all-round display at both ends, hailed the home fans who generated an electrifying atmosphere that carried Panathinaikos as the hosts roared back from an early 2-8 deficit.

Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens guard Jerian Grant spoke to EuroLeague TV after his team beat Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade in Round 20 of the 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.

Jerian Grant: 'Guys were hurt, we had to step up'

“I feel great,” Grant said. “I was always going to play a lot of minutes tonight because guys were hurt. We had to step up and we got the win. The fans were great, they are always here for us and when we play at home we feel we can beat anybody.”

Nunn, who was handed a one-game suspension after being ejected in Belgrade for unsportsmanlike conduct and missed the subsequent 93-67 mauling at Anadolu Efes Istanbul, looks a different player after returning to action. 

The former NBA stalwart netted a total of 144 points in the 5-0 streak Panathinaikos conjured since the Istanbul debacle, which is an ominous warning to the EuroLeague champion’s rivals for the rest of the regular season.

“It was our best home game yet as we always have enough, no matter who’s in or out,” Nunn said courtside. “We’re pretty deep and whoever is playing, we expect to win.”

Game News

Despite missing several key players, the home team produced a flawless performance against Partizan 

Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens guard Jerian Grant spoke to EuroLeague TV after his team beat Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade in Round 20 of the 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.  

Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens-Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade | RS Round 20 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

EA7 Emporio Armani Milan forward Shavon Shields spoke to EuroLeague TV after his team beat Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv in Round 20 of the 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.  

Shavon Shields: 'Everybody did their part'

Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv-EA7 Emporio Armani Milan | RS Round 20 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

Reigning champion Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens improved to 12-8 in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague and celebrated its fifth successive victory after overpowering Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade 96-84 on the back of a game-high 25 points from top scorer Kendrick Nunn and a majestic display from Jerian Grant.  

Panathinaikos rolls on with emphatic 96-84 win over Partizan

Reigning champion Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens improved to 13-7 in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague and celebrated its fifth successive victory after overpowering Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade 96-84 on the back of a game-high 25 points from top scorer Kendrick Nunn and a majestic display from Jerian Grant.

With influential playmakers Lorenzo Brown and Kostas Sloukas sidelined, Grant pulled all the strings on offense as he racked up 14 points, 8 assists and 7 boards, propelling a smooth effort at both ends. Cedi Osman also stood out with arguably his best game of the season garnished by 18 points, Omer Yurtseven added 17 and Juancho Hernangomez amassed 15 to go with 8 rebounds.

At the other end, Sterling Brown stood out for Partizan with 23 points, Brandon Davis netted 19 and Iffe Lundberg scored 16, but the visitors missed a bigger input from their backcourt dynamos Carlik Jones and Duane Washington who scored a mere 4 points between them.

The visitors dropped to a 9-11 record and face an uphill battle to make the postseason after a lackluster display devoid of energy, having been outplayed in every department.

A rout did not look on the cards for Partizan as the Serbian team raced into an early 2-8 lead but Panathinaikos soon beefed up its defense and never looked back after turning the tide with a 10-0 run, which resulted in a 23-13 lead at the end of the first quarter.

The trend continued in the second as the home team stayed in cruise control, with Nunn hitting mid-range jumpers from all over while Oman did a lot of damage from the perimeter. Crucially, Panathinaikos dominated the paint at both ends in the first half as the Greens racked up 10 offensive boards and 25 in total, highlighting the home team’s aggressive approach.

Partizan regained some composure and slashed the deficit to 62-56 late in the third quarter but Panathinaikos hit straight back with a vengeance to open up a 75-63 advantage ahead of the final 10 minutes, with Hernangomez hitting a buzzer-beating three from the corner to send the vociferous home fans into raptures.

Davies tried to keep Partizan afloat with clinical shooting as the visiting team closed the gap to 77-67 early in the fourth, but the writing was on the wall for the Serbian outfit after Panathinaikos romped away to 94-71 in the home stretch. Partizan salvaged some pride with a 0-13 run in the dying minutes, but it was too little too late against a rampant home team.    

The Greens made it five in a row with a strong performance with several players shining 

EA7 Emporio Armani Milan walloped Maccabi 74-107 for a new season high in points - topping triple figures for the third time. And the win moved Milan to 11-9 on the season. 

Coach Messina: 'We made it look easy, but it was not easy'

[EA7 Emporio Armani Milan](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/ea7-emporio-armani-milan/roster/mil/?season=2024-25)’s biggest winning margin this season coming into its road game against [Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/maccabi-playtika-tel-aviv/roster/tel/?season=2024-25) was 15 points. The Italian team blew away that mark with a 37-point victory over Maccabi - in a performance which was not as it seemed. 

[Milan walloped Maccabi 74-107](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/milan-avoids-slip-up-in-blowing-out-maccabi-74-107/) for a new season high in points - topping triple figures for the third time. And the win moved Milan to 11-9 on the season. 

“Congratulations to my players. We made it look easy, but it was not easy,” Milan head coach [Ettore Messina](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/ea7-emporio-armani-milan/mil/messina-ettore/?season=E2024) said afterwards. 

“We played a good game from minute one. We played good defense - alternating between zone and man. The players were very sharp. And we moved it. And eventually, Maccabi lost confidence in themselves.”

Five players scored in double figures for Milan, topped by [Shavon Shields](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/shavon-shields/007831/)’s 18 points while [Zach LeDay](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/zach-leday/008987/) and [Nikola Mirotic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/nikola-mirotic/000796/) both scored 17 points. 

“We just played together as a team and moved the ball really well from side to side and got a lot of stops on defense. We just have to keep going,” LeDay said. “This is a really tight race so we’re trying to separate ourselves and keep getting better.” 

Milan, which beat Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade [101-86 at home in Round 13](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/milan-breezes-past-zvezda-101-86-for-fourth-straight-win/), is one of the best outside shooting teams in the league and narrowly topped its average percentage with 41.4% on three-pointers. But the Italian side shot a blistering 67.6% on two-pointers, much higher than the 52.5% coming into the game. Milan also committed only 7 turnovers - well below the 12.2 average miscues entering the contest.

One of the biggest storylines was Maccabi’s outside shooting, missing its first 20 shots before hitting the final long-range attempt for the team’s worst three-point shooting performance in history and tying for the sixth poorest in EuroLeague history. 

Messina liked what his team showed in the game. 

“We did very well to create the lead, to maintain it, expand it. Everybody who came on the court helped: with a bucket, defense or a rebound. When we all participate in the game, we become a very interesting team,” he finished.

Milan eventually broke the will of Maccabi with a strong defense and sharing offense 

FC Barcelona guard Dario Brizuela spoke to EuroLeague TV after his team beat AS Monaco in Round 20 of the 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.  

Dario Brizuela: 'This win is huge for us'

Georgios Papagiannis makes a block at one end and throws down a fierce transition slam at the other!

Papagiannis at both ends! Motorola Magic Moment of the Night

 Georgios Papagiannis makes a block at one end and throws down a fierce transition slam at the other!

Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul center Sertac Sanli spoke to EuroLeague TV after his team beat ALBA Berlin in Round 20 of the 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.  

Sertac Sanli: 'Everybody needed a game like this'

Kalaizakis steals it and races clear to dunk!

Kalaitzakis flushes it down on the break! Motorola Magic Moment

 Kalaizakis steals it and races clear to dunk!

EA7 Emporio Armani Milan earned an important victory in its battle to make the playoffs by rolling past Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv 74-107 in Belgrade

Milan avoids slip-up in blowing out Maccabi 74-107

EA7 Emporio Armani Milan earned an important victory in its battle to make the playoffs by rolling past Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv 74-107 in Belgrade. Milan took the third quarter 17-33 to lay the foundation for its second straight win to move to 11-9. Milan avoided a slip-up against struggling Maccabi with Shavon Shields pacing five scorers in double figures with 18 points.

Zach LeDay and Nikola Mirotic both had 17 points, Armoni Brooks scored 15 and Leandro Bolmaro chipped in 14 points. Maccabi lost for the seventh time in the last eight games and now has a 5-15 record. Roman Sorkin led the losing side with 16 points, Levi Randolph tallied 15 and Rokas Jokubaitis added 14 points in the loss. Maccabi’s leading scorer Jaylen Hoard was limited to just 2 points on two shots - 13.5 points below his average.

Maccabi suffered a nightmare from the outside, missing 20 of 21 three-pointers - the club’s worst three-point performance in history, surpassing a 1-for-16 night in 2001-02. And it tied for the sixth-poorest percentage in EuroLeague history along with Asseco Prokom Gdynia in 2012-13.

Milan had the better start to go up 2-7 while Trevion Williams scored two baskets to go with 2 offensive rebounds to put Maccabi ahead 8-7. After Milan answered with the next 5 points to take a 4-point lead. Randolph’s 4 points moved his output to 8 points and tied the game at 12-12. Maccabi however was held scoreless for 3 minutes and LeDay scored 5 points to give Milan a 12-20 advantage, which was 14-20 after 10 minutes. 

The second quarter saw a rare occurrence early on as Maccabi’s John DiBartolomeo failed to convert the three-point play to make it 18-22. The missed foul shot ended the longest consecutive free throw streak in EuroLeague history at 70. DiBartolomeo had last missed from the charity stripe in Round 11 of the 2022-23 season against FC Bayern Munich on December 2, 2022.

Maccabi kept Milan close with Mirotic scoring 7 points and Williams and Randolph both tallying 4 points to make it 28-31. Milan’s defense held Maccabi scoreless for more than 3 minutes and a 0-8 spurt pushed the gap to 11. Despite two scores from Jokubaitis, Maccabi was down 37-45 at the break.

Milan pulled away further in the third quarter as Niccolo Mannion hit a triple and converted a three-point play and Bolmaro added 5 points in a 5-14 start for a 42-59 advantage. Five points from Brooks extended the cushion to 20 and a pair of Diego Flaccadori triples made it 52-76. The visitors led 54-78 after three quarters. 

The game had long been decided and Maccabi could only get as close as 60-82 in the early stages of the final frame. Milan finished any doubts with a 4-20 surge to make it 64-102, reaching the 100-point mark for the third time, topping the 101 points scored in Round 9 and Round 13. 

Milan scored a season-high 107 points as it fights to stay in the playoff picture 

Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul stepped up their offense and shared the ball well in the closing quarter, where they made 5 of 7 from downtown to outscore ALBA Berlin 29-13. 

Three-point efficiency in fourth quarter gave Fenerbahce the win over ALBA

The final 90-73 deficit might give an impression that Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul cruised past ALBA Berlin on Thursday evening, but it took some effort and big shots dropping from deep in the fourth to down the visitors. Fenerbahce led for the majority of the game, but ALBA would not give up, keeping itself at arm’s length for the first three quarters.

In fact, Fenerbahce took a 16-11 lead after 10 minutes, but ALBA outscored the hosts 21-23 and 24-26 in the second and third quarters, respectively, bringing themselves within 61-60 heading into the fourth. That’s when Fenerbahce found its flow on offense, circulated the ball smoothly and went on a 22-4 surge to put the game to bed.

To do so, the Turkish side relied heavily on their competence from beyond the arc. Having made just 3 of its 15 three-point attempts (20.0%) in the first half, Fenerbahce went 2-for-4 in the third, but it wasn’t enough. The hosts stepped up their offense and shared the ball well in the closing quarter, where they made 5 of 7 from downtown to outscore ALBA 29-13.

Fenerbahce drilled 5 fourth-quarter threes to beat ALBA

“At the end of the third quarter, the fact is that the game became difficult, \[but\] we managed to play our best basketball and of course, it always helps when you hit some three-pointers,” head coach Saras Jasikevicius admitted in the post-game press conference.

Marko Guduric and Nigel Hayes-Davis nailed 2 triples each in the fourth, with Tarik Biberovic scoring one of his own, but it was Sertac Sanli who came to the fore from the off in a season-high night. Sanli netted 18 points, which is his highest tally this season. He also downed 3 rebounds, added 2 assists and drew 5 fouls – including two consecutive three-point plays that allowed Fenerbahce to open a 75-69 lead midway through the fourth.

“He’s been doing great for us all year and like Saras says, every player has their games,” Hayes-Davis told EuroLeague TV after the duel. “It’s a long season, so every man will have an opportunity to have a game. I’m happy for him. He’s a very, very unselfish player for the team so it’s good to see him have a night where he’s the guy.”

Having recorded two wins in a row for the first time since Rounds 10 and 11, Fenerbahce will now look to build on their momentum heading into a tough double-round week. Saras’s side will play at Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade on Wednesday before hosting Zalgiris Kaunas two days later and being clinical from beyond the arc could be key in their bid to extend their winning streak.

The hosts went 5-for-7 from deep in the last 10 minutes to finish it off

AS Monaco-FC Barcelona | RS Round 20 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul-ALBA Berlin | RS Round 20 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

Yurtseven turns around and rocks the rim with lightning speed!

Fine dunk from Yurtseven! Motorola Magic Moment

 Yurtseven turns around and rocks the rim with lightning speed!