Name: Achille Polonara: 'Coach Dusko gave me a lot of confidence'
Channel: Euroleague Basketball

It was a special game at Buesa Arena on Friday night. Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz legend Tiago Splitter returned to the arena as Paris Basketball head coach, barely seven months after seeing his No 21 retired by the Spanish club. In another storyline, Chima Moneke of Baskonia and TJ Shorts of Paris have known each other for almost a decade, having been college teammates at UC Davis in the 2017-18 season.

Chima Moneke stepped up to stop his best friend TJ Shorts and Paris

It was a special game at Buesa Arena on Friday night. [Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/baskonia-vitoria-gasteiz/bas/) legend [Tiago Splitter](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/paris-basketball/prs/splitter-tiago/?season=E2024) returned to the arena as [Paris Basketball](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/paris-basketball/prs/) head coach, barely seven months after seeing his No 21 retired by the Spanish club. In another storyline, [Chima Moneke](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/chima-moneke/012201/) of Baskonia and [TJ Shorts](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/tj-shorts/012608/) of Paris have known each other for almost a decade, having been college teammates at UC Davis in the 2017-18 season.

Both players had to make their names the hard way, grinding their way up the European basketball ladder before establishing themselves as Turkish Airlines EuroLeague stars. Of course, both of them are fierce competitors and once the ball went up, it was go time.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">DON CHIMA MONEKE 🎩<br><br>Another great night, another MVP! 🔥🔥<br>𝟐𝟗 𝐏𝐔𝐍𝐓𝐎𝐒 𝐘 𝟏𝟎 𝐑𝐄𝐁𝐎𝐓𝐄𝐒<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GoazenBaskonia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GoazenBaskonia</a> <a href="https://t.co/8JbBFPF9oY">pic.twitter.com/8JbBFPF9oY</a></p>&mdash; Baskonia (@Baskonia) <a href="https://twitter.com/Baskonia/status/1872761146161414264?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 27, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Moneke was a dominant force in the game. Despite fouling out and leaving the game with an injury, all at once, Moneke was everywhere in Round 18, finishing the game with 29 points on 6-of-9 two-pointers, 4-of-8 three-pointers, 10 rebounds, 5 fouls drawn and a block on Shorts that should give him bragging rights for the rest of the season. He also recorded the highest-scoring double-double in the current EuroLeague season.

Shorts was limited to 14 points and 4 assists [in a 94-81 losing effort](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/baskonia-comes-from-behind-to-beat-paris-94-81/). He had just 5 points and 2 assists in the second half, which was one of the biggest keys to this game. After a 57-point first half, tying a EuroLeague season high, Paris was outscored 53-24 in a second half that saw Moneke join forces with [Markus Howard](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/markus-howard/011948/) to lead Baskonia to an important victory.

Moneke was absolutely ecstatic after the game and revealed a special motivation for this particular game.

"This is my favorite game that I have ever been a part of in my life. It has been a tough season," Moneke told EuroLeague TV. "I have been dealing with a lot personally on the court. We have been going through a lot. 

"It was my birthday three days ago. I'm never with my family during these breaks and one of my brothers is able to be here; playing against my best friend in the absolute world. He's going to win MVP still, but everything just happened. We're down 16, down 18, whatever it was \[19, actually\]. And we just keep believing in ourselves."

Game News

They put their great friendship to the side for 40 minutes 


Chima Moneke stepped up to stop best friend TJ Shorts and Paris

Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz v Paris Basketball (2024-12-27T19:30:00.000Z)

KK Partizan made a statement by beating Fenerbahce Istanbul 90-81 in Round 18 of the EuroLeague, in no small part thanks to Duane Washington who posted a career-high 27 points to lead the Serbian team with a stellar display.

‘The best from Partizan is yet to come’ – Duane Washington has high hopes for 2025

[Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/partizan-mozzart-bet-belgrade/par/) made a statement by [beating Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul 90-81](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/partizan-gets-back-to-winning-ways-after-beating-fenerbahce-90-81/) in Round 18 of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague, in no small part thanks to [Duane Washington](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/duane-washington/013370/) who posted a career-high 27 points to lead the Serbian team with a stellar display.

The 24-year-old, who played college basketball for Ohio State before his short stints with the Indiana Pacers and the Phoenix Suns in the NBA, gave the Fenerbahce players a roasting all night as he mixed superb perimeter shooting with incisive drives to the basket.

Washington was 9 of 14 from the floor and 8 of 9 from the line, as he pulled the strings on offense and was also part of a cohesive defensive effort which stifled out the visitors. 

In his postgame comments, Washington elaborated that Partizan had prepared well for the matchup, having credited his teammates and the staff for being able to claim the player of the game accolade.

“We knew their game plan was to switch out on our guards,” Washington told EuroLeague TV in a courtside interview. “Coach told us to be aggressive, he believed in me and so did my teammates, it was a great team win. Defensively we did a great job and that’s where it started, as it got us into transitions and mismatches.

“We appreciate the fans’ support, win or lose they are always there for us and without them we wouldn’t be where we are right now. We are so grateful for that and the best of Partizan is yet to come in 2025.”

The result means that Partizan, which endured a poor start to the season and went 2-8 before winning the next five, improved to 8-10 before the turn of the year. Playmaker [Carlik Jones](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/carlik-jones/013369/) had led the revival before Washington took over in the last few games and on Friday he was once again instrumental with 14 points, 5 assists and as many boards.

Jones was also elated with the victory over Fenerbahce, as it was sweet revenge for Partizan after the Serbian side suffered an 89-72 rout in the revere fixture against the Turkish side earlier this season.

“It’s a huge win and this one was really personal for us because they are the only team that really beat us \[comprehensively\]. We suffered a couple of \[recent\] losses that we felt we shouldn’t have and we wanted to get our get-back,” said Jones.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="qme" dir="ltr">👀🖤🤍<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KKPartizan?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KKPartizan</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EuroLeague?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EuroLeague</a> <a href="https://t.co/ivivpDlUYT">pic.twitter.com/ivivpDlUYT</a></p>&mdash; KK Partizan Mozzart Bet (@PartizanBC) <a href="https://twitter.com/PartizanBC/status/1872786029935276474?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 27, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Head coach [Zeljko Obradovic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/partizan-mozzart-bet-belgrade/par/obradovic-zeljko/) highlighted that his team’s tough defense had forced a barrage of misses from Fenerbahce, which sank a mere 14 of 30 from inside although the visitors did nail 14 of 31 from deep.

“We played outstanding defense throughout the game,” said the winner of a record nine EuroLeague titles, the last of which came with Fenerbahce in 2017. “I also need to single out Washington, he had a tremendous game and I am very happy for him.”

Crisis-hit Fenerbahce, which has now lost five of its last six in the EuroLeague, is at home to city rival Anadolu Efes Istanbul in the Turkish capital’s derby in Round 19, while Partizan entertains the visiting Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv.   

The versatile guard was optimistic about his team’s chances of making the postseason 

Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade v Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul (2024-12-27T19:30:00.000Z)

Panathinaikos BC head coach Ergin Ataman really didn’t know what he would get from Wenyen Gabriel, who was signed on Monday after the gruesome injury to Mathias Lessort. The new addition ended up being a major difference-maker in the EuroLeague champs handing FC Bayern Munich its first home loss of the season.

Wenyen Gabriel made major difference for Panathinaikos in first game after Mathias Lessort injury 

[Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/panathinaikos-aktor-athens/pan/) head coach [Ergin Ataman](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/panathinaikos-aktor-athens/pan/ataman-ergin/) really didn’t know what he would get from [Wenyen Gabriel](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/wenyen-gabriel/013383/), who was signed on Monday after the [gruesome injury to Mathias Lessort](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/all-euroleague-center-mathias-lessort-leaves-game-with-leg-injury/). The new addition ended up being a major difference-maker in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague champs handing [FC Bayern Munich](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/fc-bayern-munich/mun/) its first home loss of the season.

Gabriel collected 6 points, 8 rebounds and 6 blocks in [Panathinaikos’s 69-80 victory over Bayern](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/panathinaikos-hands-bayern-first-ever-euroleague-loss-at-sap-garden-69-80/) to snap a three-game road losing streak.

“We knew somebody would win here – it’s impossible to stay unbeaten. We are the firsts because we have the experience and power for that,” said Ataman, who saw his star big man Lessort go down with a fractured fibula in Round 17 on December 19.

[Kendrick Nunn](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/kendrick-nunn/012774/) poured in 27 points and was the offensive key once again for the Greens, as he has been over the last few games.

“They’re a hell of a team. They were on a good run. It was a perfect game for us. It was a good challenge for us – on the road and missing our big,” noted Nunn. “It was extra motivation for the Greens. Every night we are playing for Mathias the rest of the season, for sure.”

He also praised Gabriel, who joined the team on December 23 after the Lessort injury: “Wenyen stepped up big tonight.”

[Kostas Sloukas](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/kostas-sloukas/001926/) also talked about how the team dedicated the win to Lessort and how all of the games will be for him. And he addressed Gabriel’s debut.

“We miss him, but today Gabriel did a great job. I can’t say he replaced him, but he gave us some fighting spirit and that was important for us,” said the four-time EuroLeague champion.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Different arena, same energy 🔋<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PAOFans?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PAOFans</a> and team together as one ☝️💚<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/paobcaktor?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#paobcaktor</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WeTheGreens?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WeTheGreens</a> <a href="https://t.co/Kf68akzsRR">pic.twitter.com/Kf68akzsRR</a></p>&mdash; Panathinaikos BC (@Paobcgr) <a href="https://twitter.com/Paobcgr/status/1872766763945083281?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 27, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Ataman himself was surprised what he got out of Gabriel, who did play nine EuroLeague games this season with [Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/maccabi-playtika-tel-aviv/tel/).

“Before the game I was telling the assistants maybe he would only play 4 or 5 minutes because he doesn’t know the plays,” admitted Ataman. “But basketball is like this. It’s simple. Sometimes you don’t need to play your plays that you work on all week. We played simple pick and roll. And when I saw that he was giving us a great contribution defensively, I kept him on the court. We just played simple pick and roll for Kendrick and Sloukas. And he managed to stay on the court.”

Those 4 or 5 minutes turned into 29:45 minutes for Gabriel, who threw down three dunks for his 6 points and helped with 3 of his 8 rebounds coming from the offensive glass, besides his tremendous rim protection.

Wenyen Gabriel, of course, cannot replace Mathias Lessort, but the South Sudanese big man showed in his debut that he can definitely help the defending EuroLeague champion.

The new addition played a major role in the Greens handing Bayern its first home loss 

Wenyen Gabriel made major difference in first game after Mathias Lessort injury 

FC Bayern Munich v Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens (2024-12-27T19:30:00.000Z)

Virtus Bologna forward Achille Polonara spoke to EuroLeague TV after his team beat LDLC ASVEL in Round 18 of the 2024-25 EuroLeague season.

Achille Polonara: 'Coach Dusko gave me a lot of confidence'

Virtus Segafredo Bologna forward Achille Polonara spoke to EuroLeague TV after his team beat LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne in Round 18 of the 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.

Virtus Segafredo Bologna v LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne (2024-12-27T19:30:00.000Z)

In a tight contest that went down to the wire, KK Crvena zvezda pulled out a 74-78 win over Barcelona on Friday night at Palau Blaugrana. Zvezda, which lost the first game between these two teams in overtime and therefore holds the head-to-head tiebreaker improved to 10-8 on the season, while Barcelona dropped to a 9-9 record.

Crvena Zvezda pulls out a dramatic win in Barcelona, 74-78

In a tight contest that went down to the wire, Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade pulled out a 74-78 win over FC Barcelona on Friday night at Palau Blaugrana. Zvezda, which lost the first game between these two teams in overtime and therefore holds the head-to-head tiebreaker improved to 10-8 on the season, while Barcelona dropped to a 9-9 record.

Neither team had a lead bigger than 7 points in the second half, as Zvezda and Barcelona exchanged leads throughout the night. Kevin Punter's triple in the penultimate minute tied the game at 74-74, but Dejan Davidovac nailed a corner three, his only field goal of the game, with 21 seconds to go, which proved to be the game-winning basket. Filip Petrusev scored 17 points, Nikola Kalinic had 12, and Mike Daum netted 11 for Zvezda. Chimezie Metu netted 16 points, while Punter poured in 13 in a losing effort.

Game Videos

Barcelona scored the first 10 points, with Metu hitting back-to-back triples and making a jumper for a double-digit margin after 2 minutes and 20 seconds. But Daum hit a pair of threes, before a dunk from Joel Bolomboy helped Zvezda turn it around and take a 10-11 lead. Joel Parra had a three for the hosts, but Petrusev scored the last 6 points for Zvezda in the quarter to make it 15-19 after 10 minutes.

Yago dos Santos had a driving layup that extended the margin to 6 points, but Punter hit back-to-back shots from way downtown to tie it at 23-23. But Yago and Daum each drained a three-pointer, and Petrusev had a big dunk to open a 25-32 score. However, Metu and Punter got Barca's offense going again, and Punter scored the last 4 points of the first half to close it with a 10-2 run, giving the hosts a 35-34 halftime lead.

Zvezda scored the first 7 points of the third quarter, with Kalinic getting a lucky bounce on a three-pointer to help make it 37-43, but Metu scored from the outside and inside before Jan Vesely's transition jumper put the hosts back in front, 44-43. Petrusev hit from downtown for the visitors, then Alex Abrines and Nemanja Nedovic traded triples. The two teams traded leads, including when Dario Brizuela hit a triple to make it 56-54, then nailed a half-court shot to put the hosts 59-56 ahead after 30 minutes.

Willy Hernangomez extended the margin on the opening possession of the fourth, but Petrusev scored 5 points in a 0-7 run to restore Zvezda's advantage. Barcelona went in front with Hernangomez and Anderson scoring inside, before Kalinic had a three-point play to make it 65-66. Jabari Parker and Vesely scored from close range, but Yago had a pair of tough runners to put Zvezda up 71-74 with 2:07 to go. Barcelona made a defensive stand, then Punter sank a three-pointer to tie the game. However, Davidovac hit a corner triple with 21 seconds left, after which Zvezda forced a turnover and held on to the lead.

It was the Serbian side's first win at Palau Blaugrana following 12 straight road defeats at Barcelona's home

FC Barcelona v Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade (2024-12-27T19:30:00.000Z)

Virtus Segafredo Bologna-LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne | RS Round 18 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

Partizan snapped a two-game skid in the EuroLeague and improved to 8-10 after a high-octane 90-81 home win over Fenerbahce, as Duane Washington poured in a career-high 27 points for the hosts. The result also means that Fenerbahce dropped to 10-7 after suffering its fifth loss in the last six in Europe’s premier club competition, as the visitors were on the back foot from start to finish.

Partizan gets back to winning ways after beating Fenerbahce, 90-81 

Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade snapped a two-game skid in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague and improved to 8-10 after a high-octane 90-81 home win over Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul, as Duane Washington poured in a career-high 27 points for the hosts.

The result also means that Fenerbahce dropped to 10-7 after suffering its fifth loss in the last six in Europe’s premier club competition, as the visitors were on the back foot from start to finish.

Carlik Jones racked up 14 points, 5 boards and as many assists while Tyrique Jones chipped in with 13 points for Partizan, which won the battle of the boards 34-27 and shot 29 of 44 from inside, where the hosts totally subdued the Turkish giant. At the other end, Nigel Hayes-Davis paced Fenerbahce with 19 points, Marko Guduric netted 14 and Sertac Sanli added 12.

On Friday night, the 1992 EuroLeague champion relied on several players to share the workload on offense as Tyrique Jones stood out in the first quarter when he scored 8 points in just four minutes on the court, having gotten into foul trouble early in the game.

The home team carved out a 25-21 lead in the opening 10 minutes and carried the momentum into the second quarter, with Carlik Jones taking over as he produced several superb plays. The point guard drained a couple of three-pointers to light up the Belgrade Arena, with the festive home fans in full swing ahead of the New Year’s Eve and Orthodox Christmas holidays.

Having led 47-38 at halftime, Partizan remained in cruise control early in the third quarter as Isiaha Mike galvanized the home fans with a steal and a ferocious slam dunk on the break which had the hosts still firmly in front, 51-42.

Fenerbahce then enjoyed its best spell of the game and quickly slashed the deficit to 54-52, hitting back with a flurry of shots from deep and mid-range. Mike then sank a triple to get Partizan back on track and the home side never looked back as Washington, who scored 19 points in the second half, stole the show in the fourth quarter.

The final 10 minutes also saw visiting head coach Sarunas Jasikevicius ejected for a double technical foul as his frustration boiled over with Partizan 76-63 ahead. Any hopes of a comeback Fenerbahce might have had were vanquished as Washington sank a long three off the dribble followed by a tough floater, giving the home team a commanding 81-66 advantage heading into the home straight.

There was time and space for the jugular in Partizan’s last play of the game as Tyrique Jones had the home fans in raptures after a monster slam off the glass thanks to an unselfish assist from Mike, drawing a standing ovation from a full house. 

The Serbian team dominated throughout as Duane Washington shined with a career-high 27 points 

KK Crvena zvezda big man Filip Petrusev spoke to EuroLeague TV after his team beat FC Barcelona in Round 18 of the 2024-25 EuroLeague season.

Filip Petrusev: 'We showed our character and got the win'

Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade big man Filip Petrusev spoke to EuroLeague TV after his team beat FC Barcelona in Round 18 of the 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.

FC Barcelona-Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade | RS Round 18 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

Panathinaikos BC became the first team to beat FC Bayern Basketball at home as the reigning champion won a back-and-forth slugfest 69-80 in both teams' final game of 2024. Panathinaikos survived a game with 21 lead changes, deciding the contest with a 0-12 spurt in the final 4 minutes to improve to 11-7 and snap a three-game losing streak. Bayern dropped to 11-7 and now 8-1 at SAP Garden, its new home, as its offense struggled after having averaged 101.8 points in the last four home games. 

Panathinaikos hands Bayern first-ever EuroLeague loss at SAP Garden, 69-80

Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens became the first team to beat FC Bayern Munich at home as the reigning champion won a back-and-forth slugfest 69-80 in both teams' final game of 2024. Panathinaikos survived a game with 21 lead changes, deciding the contest with a 0-12 spurt in the final 4 minutes to improve to 11-7 and snap a three-game losing streak. Bayern dropped to 11-7 and now 8-1 at SAP Garden, its new home, as its offense struggled after having averaged 101.8 points in the last four home games. 

Kendrick Nunn shined throughout for a game-high 27 points while Konstantinos Mitoglou had 15 points, Jerian Grant 14, Kostas Sloukas added 11 points and 8 assists, and new acquisition Wenyen Gabriel chipped in 6 points, 8 rebounds and 5 blocks. Andreas Obst made 6 three-points for 19 points, Johannes Voigtmann collected 14 points and 13 rebounds, and Devin Booker scored 14 points. The league’s leading scorer Carsen Edwards was held to 11 points – 9.7 points below his average. 

Bayern started the game in great fashion, with Voigtmann picking up two baskets as the hosts went up 9-0. Panathinaikos needed more than 3 minutes to finally get on the scoreboard. A Sloukas triple trimmed the scoreline to 11-7. Booker added four more points and the Bayern cushion grew to 16-7 as the hosts' defense was holding strong. But Bayern’s offense dried up over the final 2 minutes, and Panathinaikos trailed just 16-13 after 10 minutes. 

The Greens’ push continued to start the second quarter and new acquisition Wenyen Gabriel’s put.back dunk gave the guests their first lead at 16-17. Edwards ended the 0-10 Panathinaikos run with Bayern’s first score of the period. But Nunn made sure Panathinaikos kept going with 5 points, then Gabriel slammed down two more dunks to open a 20-30 cushion. After the Panathinaikos 4-23 run, Obst knocked down two triples to get Bayern back into the game and start a 16-2 surge to finish the first half and reclaim the lead, 36-32, going into the break.

Nunn scored the first five points of the second half to put Panathinaikos back ahead as the first of 11 lead changes – Obst making three triples and Nunn scoring five points before four Grant points for a 49-52 lead. Grant added a triple and the guests were up 51-55, only to see Bayern make it 53-55 after 30 minutes.

The back and forth continued in the final frame with four more lead changes, with Nunn hitting a third triple to put the Greens 58-63 ahead. And it was 61-66 after yet another Grant score. Bayern was not done, with Obst and Voigtmann knocking down back-to-back triples, and the home side was back on top 67-66. The champs punched right back with a 0-12 run thanks to four three-pointers over a stretch of 2:21 minutes to lead 67-78. Panathinaikos’s defense shut down Bayern the rest of the way as Ergin Ataman's men secured a big road win.

Kendrick Nunn was at his brilliant best, continuing his excellent form with a 27-point showing

KK Partizan guard Duane Washington spoke to EuroLeague TV after his team beat Fenerbahce Beko in Round 18 of the 2024-25 EuroLeague season.

Duane Washington: 'The Grobari are always there for us'

Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade guard Duane Washington spoke to EuroLeague TV after his team beat Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul in Round 18 of the 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.

Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade-Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul | RS Round 18 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

Panathinaikos BC guard Kostas Sloukas spoke to EuroLeague TV after his team beat FC Bayern Basketball in Round 18 of the 2024-25 EuroLeague season.

Kostas Sloukas: 'We dedicate this win to Mathias Lessort'

Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens guard Kostas Sloukas spoke to EuroLeague TV after his team beat FC Bayern Munich in Round 18 of the 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.

Baskonia rallied from a 19-point deficit to beat Paris Basketball 94-81 in Round 18 of the 2024-25 EuroLeague season.


Baskonia comes from behind to beat Paris, 94-81

Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz returned to winning ways in Round 18's Rivalry Series game by downing Paris Basketball 94-81 at Buesa Arena on Friday night. Baskonia improved to 8-10 in the standings while Paris dropped to 11-6.

Chima Moneke led the winners with 29 points and 10 rebounds. Markus Howard added 28 points, while Nikos Rogkavopoulos netted 10. Nadir Hifi led Paris with 16 points. TJ Shorts added 14 and Maodo Lo had 12, while Collin Malcolm got 10.

Shorts got Paris going with a floater and a mid-range jumper. Howard buried a floater in the lane and Moneke erased Kevarrius Hayes's jumper with a driving layup. Howard struck from downtown and Moneke's three-point play gave Baskonia an 11-6 lead. Hifi and Bandja Sy stepped up for Paris, but Moneke followed a layup with another triple. Sy buried a corner three-pointer and Lo scored in penetration to tie it at 16-16. Kamar Baldwin took over with a layup in transition and Rogkavopoulos added a three-pointer to restore a 22-16 Baskonia lead. Malcolm rescued Paris with a three-point play and Hifi improved Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot's close basket with a triple. Trent Forrest banked in a close shot and Rogkavoupoulos scored again, but Hayes and Tyson Ward kept Paris within 28-26 after 10 minutes.

Hayes scored down low early in the second quarter, then Ward and Shorts each struck from downtown to make Baskonia stop the game at 28-34. Shorts capped a 0-10 run with a floater, before Baskonia's Moneke stepped up with a three-point play. Lo took over with a fast-break layup and a three-pointer, restoring a 33-41 Paris lead. Leopold Cavaliere scored around the basket, then Malcolm made it a 12-point game, 33-45. Hifi and Howard each struck from beyond the arc for either team, and Cavaliere gave the visitors an extra boost with a fast-break basket for a 36-52 score. Hifi scored again before Paris's Yakuba Ouattara and Baskonia's Rogkavopoulos joined the three-point shootout to fix the halftime score at 41-57. 

Howard struck from downtown soon after the break and Moneke added a fast-break layup to give Baskonia hope at 46-57. Ouattara and Moneke traded three-pointers and Lo also hit one from beyond the arc for a 51-63 score. Malcolm stepped up with an alley-oop layup, but Baldwin scored in penetration and Moneke's three-pointer made it a single-digit game, 58-65. Hifi hit free throws and Hayes added a put-back layup that gave Paris fresh air at 59-69. Shorts took over with a three-point play, however Forrest then buried a jump hook and Howard added a three-pointer for a 64-72 Baskonia deficit after 30 minutes.

Howard ignited the crowd with a huge triple early in the fourth quarter. He soon added a wild four-point play that brought Baskonia within striking distance, 70-72. Shorts hit a running floater that an unstoppable Howard better with another bomb from downtown. Hall dunked to complete Baskonia's comeback, 75-74. Rogkavopoulos added a driving layup and Moneke capped a 19-2 run from the foul line. Malcolm and Moneke exchanged three-pointers, then Forrest boosted the hosts' lead to 82-77. Howard hit free throws, Hifi erased those with a floater and Forrest found Hall for a huge dunk, good for an 86-79 Baskonia lead. Moneke buried another three-pointer to seal the outcome, 89-81, in the penultimate minute as Paris never recovered.

Coach Pablo Laso's team rallied from a 19-point deficit


FC Bayern Munich-Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens | RS Round 18 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

Virtus Bologna improved to 3-1 under coach Dusko Ivanovic and 5-13 overall after thrashing LDLC ASVEL 83-69, with the visitors putting some gloss on the final scoreline after trailing by 21 points midway through the final frame. With this defeat, ASVEL drops to an 8-10 record.

Virtus flexes its muscles in dominant win over ASVEL, 83-69

Virtus Segafredo Bologna improved to 3-1 under coach Dusko Ivanovic and 5-13 overall after thrashing LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne 83-69, with the visitors putting some gloss on the final scoreline after trailing by 21 points midway through the final frame. With this defeat, ASVEL drops to an 8-10 record.

Achille Polonara was Virtus's star man on the night after posting 17 points and 9 rebounds. Will Clyburn added 13 points for the hosts, while Matt Morgan and Momo Diouf both chipping in with 10 points apiece. Theo Maledon netted 20 points for ASVEL, with 11 coming from the free-throw line. Neal Sako was the only other visiting player to get into double figures, scoring 12.

Isaia Cordinier was everywhere for Virtus early on, scoring his team’s first 5 points before providing an alley-oop for Polonara to make it 7-3. Polonara added a couple of free throws, before Maledon moved to 5 points by scoring a dunk to make it 9-5. Clyburn drained a three, Ante Zizic blocked Nando De Colo and then had a dunk in the open floor, and Pajola netted a triple to give Virtus a double-digit lead at 17-5. De Colo’s outlet pass found Edwin Jackson for a layup, but Morgan’s score inside ensured it was 19-7 after 10 minutes.

Morgan knocked down a couple of three-pointers either side of two Diouf free throws to set a new game-high lead of 18 points at 25-7. Sako had a couple of scores as ASVEL tried to respond, with Maledon making the most of a three-point play to cut the hosts’ lead to 29-15 less than four minutes into the quarter. With Maledon’s score, ASVEL had scored more points in 3:51 minutes than it did in the entire first quarter. Nevertheless, Virtus kept scoring at ease and regularly led by 15 points in the remainder of the period. With the last play before the break, Clyburn got the offensive board and scored the layup to set a halftime score of 46-29.

Virtus had a strong start to the third, setting new game-high leads until it swelled to a high of a 25-point difference at 56-31, with the hosts having outscored the visitors 10-2 through the opening 5:14 minutes. ASVEL stopped the gap from getting any bigger, but Rayjon Tucker’s hustle and energy provided a further boost to Virtus, which held a 21-point lead, 66-45, at the end of the period.

Virtus retained a 20-point-plus lead for almost the first half of the final frame, with Andrejs Grazulis restoring a 21-point lead after Sako had cut it to 19. As the hosts took their foot off the gas in the final 4:15 minutes, ASVEL got as close as 11 points in the final 41 seconds, but the game was never in doubt. Clyburn put the cherry on top of the cake with a three-pointer with 18 seconds to go, which set the final 83-69 score.

Achille Polonara was the star man for the hosts

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 Trent Forrest with a wild behind-the-back assist to Donta Hall for a super slam!

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