Name: Edwards from half court! Motorola Magic Moment
Channel: Euroleague Basketball

EA7 Emporio Armani Milan grabbed a second straight win by downing Real Madrid, 85-76, to leave the Spanish team winless on the road. 

Milan downs Real, 85-76, for second straight win

EA7 Emporio Armani Milan grabbed a second straight win by downing Real Madrid, 85-76, to leave the Spanish team winless on the road. Both teams now have 3-5 records.

Milan took control with a 19-4 run to bridge the first and second quarters, and was up 47-40 at halftime. A 9-0 run to start the final quarter left Real reeling, and the hosts cruised home. Neno Dimitrijevic led the way with 22 points, while Zach LeDay provided 17 points plus 8 rebounds and Nico Mannion marked his debut with 11 points and 5 assists. Serge Ibaka and Mario Hezonja paced Real with 13 points apiece, and Walter Tavares had 10 points and 9 rebounds.

Game Videos

Alberto Abalde scored from both close and long-range in the early going, with Leandro Bolmaro’s midrange jumper Milan’s only basket in the first 5 minutes. Bolmaro then hit a corner three for a 7-7 tie, before Gabriel Deck and Dimitrijevic traded inside scores. Sergio Llull struck from deep, but Bolmaro stayed hot and Dimitrijevic hit a triple for a 14-12 Milan lead. Fabien Causeur took over with a three and a fastbreak layup, and Armoni Brooks also added a three before Mannion scored on the first quarter’s last possession to make it 24-16.

LeDay made it a double-digit margin to start the second, before Hezonja and Causeur scored inside. Brooks scored his second three and LeDay added a jumper for a 33-18 lead before Hezonja rescued Real from deep and Eli Ndiaye scored in transition. Free throws completed a 0-9 run, but Dimitrijevic replied with a pair of triples for another double-digit lead, 39-29. Ibaka’s dunk and Xavier Rathan-Mayes’s triple made it closer, but Dimitrijevic replied with a floater for a 47-40 halftime lead.

Game News

Tavares started the second half with a dunk, and Rathan-Mayes added a triple to make it 47-45. Mirotic and LeDay got Milan moving from the foul line, before Hezonja and Tavares dunked to make it 53-49. Dimitrijevic rescued Milan with five fast points before Ibaka’s two close-range scores and Mannion’s layup ended a low-scoring third quarter 62-55.

LeDay’s three-pointer gave Milan breathing room with the final quarter’s opening score, and he then added an identical strike to make it 69-55. Brooks’ layup completed an 11-0 burst before Ibaka continued leading Real’s resistance with a triple. Mirotic’s fastbreak layup and another LeDay three made it 78-58, and two more Mannion baskets made the outcome a foregone conclusion long before the final buzzer despite a late Real flurry.

Neno Dimitrijevic erupted for 22 points to lead the home side

EA7 Emporio Armani Milan v Real Madrid (2024-11-07T19:30:00.000Z)

Carsen Edwards collects the ball and magically hits the heave from half-court!

Edwards from half court!  Motorola Magic Moment

 Carsen Edwards collects the ball and magically hits the heave from half-court!

FC Bayern Munich v Zalgiris Kaunas (2024-11-07T19:45:00.000Z)

ALBA Berlin registered a no-doubt-about-it 92-71 road defeat against Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade. Its signature player, however, could lead ALBA to a much better future in the 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague. 


Procida has career-best effort in loss

[ALBA Berlin](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/alba-berlin/roster/ber/?season=2024-25) went down [92-71 on the road](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/zvezda-bounces-back-against-alba-92-71/) against [Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/crvena-zvezda-meridianbet-belgrade/roster/red/?season=2024-25) on Thursday, but left the court with a reason for optimism. Its signature player, [Gabriele Procida](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/gabriele-procida/008384/), produced his best game yet. 

Procida had a rough start of the season. Chosen as the [2023-24 EuroLeague Rising Star](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/albas-gabriele-procida-secures-2023-24-euroleague-rising-star-award/), Procida had been off-target until now, averaging just 3.7 points on poor shooting (40.0% 2FG, 15.4% 3FG) and 1.7 rebounds and a PIR of -0.5 in six games. He had registered a negative PIR in four of those games.

Things were different at Aleksandar Nikolic Hall, as Procida found his rhythm from the very beginning even though his team trailed from the opening basket. He scored his team's first 9 points on a couple of driving layups, a triple and a pair of free throws. By the time he had a blocked shot, Procida had a PIR of 15 while the rest of his teammates combined for a PIR of -6.

Gabriele Procida ended up setting new career-highs in points (25), rebounds (7) and PIR (34) against.Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade in Round 8 of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague.

Procida shines against Zvezda

Procida kept going strong throughout the game, showcasing his all-around skills with a couple of dunks and a lot of quality baskets. He ended up setting new career-highs in points (25), rebounds (7) and PIR (34). His previous personal-best PIR was 19 against [Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/maccabi-playtika-tel-aviv/roster/tel/) on [November 30, 2023](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/euroleague-live-blog-maccabi-tel-aviv-bc-vs-alba-berlin/); Procida almost doubled it, making 7 of 9 two-pointers and 3 of 7 three-pointers plus 3 steals and 2 blocks. He was physical and focused throughout the game.

"Procida is a talented player. He was very aggressive from the beginning and scored most of his points of his team in the first half and the second half," Zvezda head coach Giannis Sfairopoulos said of ALBA's star. 

He stepped up in a tough situation for his team, as ALBA is without [Matteo Spagnolo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/matteo-spagnolo/008173/), [Matt Thomas](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/matt-thomas/008967/), [Yanni Wetzell](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/yanni-wetzell/011934/), [Justin Bean](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/justin-bean/012721/) and [Khalifa Koumadje](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/khalifa-koumadje/010791/).

"We did a good effort in the situation that we came here, keeping the game around 10 points and trying to come back but in the end, I think the difference was little bit unfair," head coach Israel Gonzalez said. "I hope to be a little bit luckier with injuries, we lost another two players today. The situation is not getting better."

[Trevion Williams](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/trevion-williams/012604/) had an all-around strong performance with 16 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assist, 2 blocks and a PIR of 16 in a losing effort. 

Zvezda took a much better care of the ball, finishing the game with 24 assists and 11 assists. Added to those 18 turnovers, ALBA also had fewer assists than its opponent (20).

With Procida and Williams on the rise, ALBA hopes to bring back some of its injured players soon in the upcoming two-round week against [EA7 Emporio Armani Milan](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/ea7-emporio-armani-milan/roster/mil/?season=2024-25) and [FC Bayern Munich](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/fc-bayern-munich/roster/mun/?season=2024-25).

The rising star had career-highs in scoring and rebounds

Gabriele Procida has career-best effort in loss

Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade v ALBA Berlin (2024-11-07T18:00:00.000Z)

The Jones duo lights up the contest as Carlik dishes it up for Tyrique to hammer it home!

Fine alley-oop from Tyrique Jones! Motorola Magic Moment

 The Jones duo lights up the contest as Carlik dishes it up for Tyrique to hammer it home!

Paris Basketball v Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade (2024-11-07T19:45:00.000Z)

Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade-ALBA Berlin | RS Round 8 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade forward Mike Daum spoke to EuroLeague TV after his team beat ALBA berlin in Round 8 of the 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.  

Mike Daum: 'Our team is super resilient'

Mario Hezonja goes coast to coast to throw it down!







Hezonja takes it all the way! Magic Moment

 Mario Hezonja goes coast to coast to throw it down!

Johannes Voigtmann with the great vision to find Oscar da Silva for the dunk.


What a dish from big to big! Motorola Magic Moment

 Johannes Voigtmann with the great vision to find Oscar da Silva for the dunk.


Andreas Obst delivers the perfect bounce pass which results in a big Devin Booker slam.


Obst’s bounce pass and big Booker boom! Motorola Magic Moment

 Andreas Obst delivers the perfect bounce pass which results in a big Devin Booker slam.


Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade returned to winning ways in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague by downing ALBA Berlin 92-71 in the Serbian capital in Round 8 on Thursday. 

Zvezda bounces back against ALBA, 92-71! 

Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade returned to winning ways in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague by downing ALBA Berlin 92-71 in the Serbian capital in Round 8 on Thursday. Zvezda improved to 4-4 in the regular season standing, breaking a four-game losing streak, while ALBA dropped to 1-7 and remains at the bottom of the standings. 

Codi Miller-McIntyre paced the winners with 15 points, 6 rebounds and 8 assists. Filip Petrusev added 14 points, Nikola Kalinic 13, Isaiah Canaan 12 and Mike Daum and Uros Plavsic had 10 apiece for Zvezda. Gabriele Procida led ALBA with 25 points. Trevion Williams added 16 while Tim Schneider had 10 for the visitors.

Daum got Zvezda going with a reverse layup. Miller-McIntyre added a jumper and a three-point play for a 7-0 lead. Plavsic hit a jump hook and erased Procida's driving basket with a layup for an 11-2 Zvezda lead. Procida kept pacing ALBA, singlehandedly bringing his team within 15-9. Nemanja Nedovic scored in penetration and Milos Teodosic fed Dejan Davidovac for a backdoor layup. Schneider dunked and Luka Mitrovic scored around the basket before Williams's put-back basket got ALBA a bit closer, 21-14. Davidovac scored in transition to boost Zvezda's lead to 23-14 after 10 minutes.

Martin Hermannsson found his first points early in the second quarter. Canaan made a three-pointer, but so did Elias Rapieque and Procida, which caused Zvezda to call timeout at 26-22. Schneider capped an 0-8 run with a put-back layup. Petrusev came through with a two-handed slam. Schneider followed a layup with an alley-oop dunk to bring the visitors closer, 32-30. Petrusev had 4 points in an 8-0 run that Kalinic capped with a layup-plus-foul for a 40-30 Zvezda lead. Louis Olinde rescued ALBA with a layup and then Yago dos Santos fixed the halftime score at 41-32.  

Williams dunked right after the break. After Plavsic and Procida traded layups, Rokas Giedraitis hit a floater. Olinde's put-back layup brought ALBA within 45-38. Williams kept pacing the visitors with a layup but didn't much help. Meanwhile, Kalinic and Miller-McIntyre scored 5 points each in a 10-0 run that broke the game open, 55-40. Williams stayed strong with a layup-plus-foul and Procida matched Plavsic's power basket with a layup. Canaan bettered Williams's floater with a corner triple and Procida took over with a fastbreak dunk that brought ALBA closer, 63-50, after 30 minutes.

Procida find space for an uncontested tip-in early in the fourth quarter. Daum and dos Santos stepped up for Zvezda and after Williams scored down low, Miller-McIntyre and Canaan each found a layup in transition, which led ALBA to call timeout at 72-56. Hermannsson followed Olinde's layup with a three-point play to give ALBA hope at 72-61. Olinde struck from downtown but ALBA struggled to score in the next 2 minutes. Meanwhile, Canaan improved Zvezda's margin to 78-64 79-64 with over 4 minutes lead, enough for the hosts to control the game until the final buzzer.

The hosts led from start to finish in a convincing display

Zvezda bounces back to blast ALBA, 92-71

Milos Teodosic feed Dejan Davidovac for a backdoor layup - what a pass!

Milos Magic! Motorola Magic Moment

 Milos Teodosic feed Dejan Davidovac for a backdoor layup - what a pass!

Luka Mitrovic tries to score but Gabriele Procida says "NO" with a big block!

Procida's big block! Motorola Magic Moment

 Luka Mitrovic tries to score but Gabriele Procida says "NO" with a big block!

In the aftermath of devastating floods which killed more than 200 people in its home region, Wednesday’s EuroCup trip to Aris BC was never going to be easy for Valencia Basket.

Valencia rebounded for suffering fans with hard-fought win over Aris

In the aftermath of devastating floods which killed more than 200 people in its home region, [Wednesday’s BKT EuroCup trip to Aris Midea Thessaloniki](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/valencia-stays-perfect-with-tough-road-win-at-aris-59-63/) was never going to be easy for [Valencia Basket](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/valencia-basket/pam/?season=2024-25).

Before the action, visiting coach Pedro Martinez admitted that his players had found it difficult to mentally prepare as they became the first professional sports team from Valencia to play a competitive game since the tragedy.

“Our mood is not the best, but we are professionals and we will try to play a good game”, Martinez told EuroLeague TV in his pre-game interview. “We are representing the people of Valencia. We would like to do more, but the only thing we can do today is try to play good basketball.”

Valencia Basket head coach Pedro Martinez spoke to EuroLeague TV ahead of his team's Round 7 clash against Aris Midea Thessaloniki in the 2024-25 BKT EuroCup season.

Pedro Martinez: 'We are representing our people from Valencia'

Once the pre-game emotions were lifted and the action began, it was clear that Aris’s aggressive defense would do everything possible to limit the offensive explosiveness of the Spanish team, which had netted more than 100 points in its four previous games.

Valencia never looked like reaching those numbers on this occasion, with the Greek team’s ball-hawking skills forcing 5 turnovers in the first quarter alone. And that set the tone because by the end of the game, with Valencia held to only 63 points on low shooting percentages: 15 of 37 from two-point range (41%), and 7 of 32 from deep (22%).

But Pedro Martinez’s men were able to overcome their rare off night in terms of shooting accuracy – and claim a 59-63 victory – by instead showcasing another of their strengths: powerful rebounding.

The Spanish side dominated the boards from the opening tip, reaching a colossal 27 boards by halftime with 11 of those coming at the offensive end. By comparison, Aris only had 13 first-half rebounds, including 3 off the offensive glass.

By the end of the game the rebounding disparity had not been diminished, with Valencia claiming 55 boards and 25 at the offensive end (just two short of the club’s EuroCup record) while Aris’s respective numbers were 37 and 13.

And those extra possessions made a difference to the eventual outcome, with Valencia netting 9 second-chance points compared to 5 for Aris – a small but significant margin in such a low-scoring game.

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="und" dir="ltr">Gracias por todo, Ευχαριστούμε για όλα, <a href="https://twitter.com/ARISBCgr?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ARISBCgr</a> 🧡💛<br><br>📷 Megapress / Aris BC Midea <a href="https://t.co/QzGPHJznfS">pic.twitter.com/QzGPHJznfS</a></p>&mdash; Valencia Basket Club (@valenciabasket) <a href="https://twitter.com/valenciabasket/status/1854277466388566379?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 6, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

The chief rebounder was [Semi Ojeleye](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/semi-ojeleye/011982/), who also led the team’s scoring as he contributed 13 points and 12 rebounds. And when the action was over, he reaffirmed the message that playing sport is secondary to his team during these difficult times.

“The city of Valencia right now is hurting,” said the forward. “Basketball is just a small part of life. Our hearts and our minds are always with the people that have lost so much. We just want to continue to think about them, to draw attention to them, and to help them heal in any way we can.”

Valencia Basket forward Semi Ojeleye spoke to EuroLeague TV after his team's Round 7 win against Aris Midea Thessaloniki in the 2024-25 BKT EuroCup season.

Semi Ojeleye: 'The city of Valencia is hurting'

Coach Martinez echoed those sentiments and added that his team’s commitment to the local community will continue into a challenging future. “We played for our supporters,” he noted. “They are suffering, but the most important thing is not to talk for only one day, or one week. We have a big problem in front of us. We need a lot of help and it is impossible to resolve in a few days.”

The Valencian Community was hit hard by flash floods last week and is still dealing with the consequences

Aris Midea Thessaloniki v Valencia Basket (2024-11-06T18:00:00.000Z)

Turk Telekom has announced the signing of Kenneth "Speedy" Smith, who joins from Hapoel Jerusalem.

Turk Telekom adds Speedy Smith

Turk Telekom Ankara has announced the signing of [Speedy Smith](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/kenneth-smith/010587/), who spent the first part of the 2024-25 BKT EuroCup campaign with Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem.

Smith (1.91 meters, 31 years old) posted 7.8 points, 2.3 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 1.0 steal per night for Jerusalem across the first six games of the EuroCup season.

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="tr" dir="ltr">✍️ Kenneth &quot;Speedy&quot; Smith artık <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AnkaraBasketbolu?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AnkaraBasketbolu</a> için ter dökecek! <br><br>Welcome to family Kenneth &quot;Speedy&quot; Smith! 👏🔥 <a href="https://t.co/EMPcBmSFQo">pic.twitter.com/EMPcBmSFQo</a></p>&mdash; Türk Telekom Basketbol (@TT_Basketbol) <a href="https://twitter.com/TT_Basketbol/status/1854514003319349413?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 7, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

This is his second year in the EuroCup after previously representing the Antwerp Giants in 2020-21, when he averaged 15.0 points, 2.6 rebounds, 5.9 assists and 1.0 steal per game in nine appearances.

Smith started his professional career with VEF Riga in 2015-16 before seeing out the rest of that season and the 2016-17 campaign with the South Bay Lakers in the G League. He remained in the G League for the next two seasons, suiting up for the Grand Rapids Gold. Smith returned to Europe in 2019 by playing for Szolnok, Charleroi and Maccabi Haifa in 2019-20. He split the 2020-21 season between Antwerp and Limoges, then played at Rytas Vilnius in 2021-22 before joining Jerusalem. Now he will continue his career with Turk Telekom.

More Turk Telekom News

The Turkish side moved quickly to sign the point guard

Countless highlights were produced during the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague 2024-25 season so far. Here's a look at the 10 best plays of October!

Top 10 Plays | October | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

 Countless highlights were produced during the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague 2024-25 season so far. Here's a look at the 10 best plays of October!

A memorable performance by an unstoppable Anthony Brown saw him set three new season highs in the BKT EuroCup and a pair of club records for Turk Telekom Ankara, all while earning him MVP of the Round honors.

Round 7 MVP: Anthony Brown, Turk Telekom Ankara

A memorable performance by an unstoppable [Anthony Brown](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/anthony-brown/009025/) saw him set three new season highs in the BKT EuroCup and a pair of club records for Turk Telekom Ankara, all while earning him MVP of the Round honors.

In a 99-80 win over the visiting U-BT Cluj-Napoca, Brown starred with a career-best 39 points, shooting 8 for 10 from downtown, setting club records and EuroCup season-high marks in both scoring and three-pointers made. Brown was also 6 of 9 on two-pointers and made all 3 of his free throws. In addition, he dished 7 assists, pulled down 4 rebounds and had 1 steal, accumulating a PIR of 45, another season high and a personal best.

Two players had a PIR of 33: Cluj's [Zavier Simpson](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/zavier-simpson/013302/) and [Jaka Blazic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/jaka-blazic/003452/) of Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana. Simpson collected 22 points, 9 assists, 6 rebounds, 3 steals and drew 9 fouls in a loss against Turk Telekom, while Blazic posted 23 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals and 9 drawn fouls in an 83-90 loss against Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse. The next best PIR, 32, belongs to ratiopharm Ulm's [Justinian Jessup](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/justinian-jessup/013290/), who played 41 minutes in a 105-100 overtime loss at Buducnost VOLI Podgorica with 25 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists. Rounding out the list of best performers in Round 7 is Turk Telekom's [Braian Angola](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/braian-angola/010465/), with a PIR of 29, as he collected 21 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists.

 

### Individual highs: Anthony Brown, Turk Telekom, 39 points

Brown's 39 points in Round 7 are the most by a player this season. [Jared Harper](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/jared-harper/011970/) of Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem is the EuroCup's scoring leader with 22.0 points per game.

Veteran center [Ante Tomic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/ante-tomic/002507/) of Joventut Badalona pulled down 13 rebounds, more than any other player in this round. Tomic is the EuroCup's new rebounding leader with 9.7 boards per game.

[Jaleen Smith](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/jaleen-smith/011192/) of Bahcesehir College Istanbul dished 15 assists, head and shoulders better than anyone else in Round 7. Cluj's Simpson leads the EuroCup this season, averaging 7.1 assists per night.

[D'Moi Hodge](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/d--moi-hodge/013253/) of Aris Midea Thessaloniki led all players in this round with 5 steals. Jerusalem's [Yovel Zoosman](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/yovel-zoosman/006625/) leads the EuroCup with 2.3 steals per contest.

Two Aris players, [Eleftherios Bochoridis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/eleftherios-bochoridis/003240/) and [Nate Laszewski](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/nathan-james-laszewski/013393/), had 3 blocks in Round 7. [Aleksa Ilic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/aleksa-ilic/006561/) of Buducnost is this season's top shot blocker with 1.8 per game.

There were five double-doubles in this round: Tomic (17 points, 13 rebounds), [Joshua Roberts](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/joshua-roberts/013252/) of Aris (10 points, 12 rebounds), [Semi Ojeleye](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/semi-ojeleye/011982/) of Valencia Basket (13 points, 12 rebounds), [Bruno Caboclo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/bruno-caboclo/012096/) of Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv (11 points, 10 rebounds), and [Tyler Cavanaugh](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/tyler-cavanaugh/009601/) of Bahcesehir (12 points, 10 rebounds).

A career night results with Turk Telekom guard earning this round's MVP honor.

FC Bayern Munich and Zalgiris Kaunas are in the upper echelons of the EuroLeague standings, but will Zalgiris hold on to first place after Round 8 or could Bayern usurp the Lithuanian side?

The battle for first between Bayern and Zalgiris 

Round 8 of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season features the Derby of the Eternal Enemies and a showdown between Spanish powerhouses FC Barcelona and Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz. But the matchup between the teams with the best records will be Thursday night's showdown between [FC Bayern Munich](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/fc-bayern-munich/mun/?season=2024-25) and [Zalgiris Kaunas](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/zalgiris-kaunas/zal/?season=2024-25).

Yes, you read that correctly. Through seven rounds, Zalgiris sits alone atop the standings with just a single loss. Bayern is among four teams tied for second at 5-2.

There are plenty of storylines to this game, including that Bayern boasts the league’s best offense with 88.3 points scored per game and Zalgiris has the league’s stingiest defense with a mere 71.4 points allowed.

But what I find most interesting about this game is the fact that Bayern can welcome the team with the best record in the league – a team whose top scorer ([Sylvain Francisco](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/sylvain-francisco/007975/)) played for it last season and whose head coach (Andrea Trinchieri) was on its bench until the summer of 2023 – to a sold-out SAP Garden without any regrets.

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Ausverkauft, sold out, Išparduota - whatever you wanna call it, there are no more tickets left for tomorrows <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EuroLeague</a> game against <a href="https://twitter.com/bczalgiris?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@bczalgiris</a> at the <a href="https://twitter.com/SAPGarden?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SAPGarden</a>!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BAYZAL?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BAYZAL</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WeBallTogether?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WeBallTogether</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FCBB?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FCBB</a> <a href="https://t.co/yRbgZmrfS6">pic.twitter.com/yRbgZmrfS6</a></p>&mdash; FC Bayern Basketball (@FCBBasketball) <a href="https://twitter.com/FCBBasketball/status/1854165300583043291?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 6, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

In different times, seeing the success that Trinchieri has found with Zalgiris – especially with Francisco leading the way – might be a difficult pill for Bayern to swallow. But today, Bayen can greet these two and give them a tour of the amazing arena that was being built when they left, before hosting a game in which a home win would vault Bayern to the top of the standings.

Among the reasons Bayern has no regrets is that it has found a coaching maestro of its own in former German national team head coach and FIBA World Cup winner Gordie Herbert and a high-scoring playmaker in [Shabazz Napier](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/shabazz-napier/011224/). There are many reasons for Bayern's strong start to the season, from [Carsen Edwards](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/carsen-edwards/011987/)'s scoring to [Devin Booker](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/devin-booker/007056/)'s inside presence to [Nick Weiler-Babb](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/nick-weiler-babb/010391/)'s versatility to [Johannes Voigtmann](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/johannes-voigtmann/007201/)'s veteran leadership, but Napier, despite coming off the bench in all but one game, has been Herbert's right-hand man on the court.

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">🔥 Boogie just 𝑫𝑰𝑭𝑭𝑬𝑹𝑬𝑵𝑻 at the Garden<br><br>Carsen <a href="https://twitter.com/Cboogie_3?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Cboogie_3</a> Edwards with 25.3 PPG in the <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@euroleague</a> when playing at <a href="https://twitter.com/SAPGarden?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@sapgarden</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HIM?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HIM</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/BoilerBall?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BoilerBall</a> <a href="https://t.co/wcermQ8u07">pic.twitter.com/wcermQ8u07</a></p>&mdash; FC Bayern Basketball (@FCBBasketball) <a href="https://twitter.com/FCBBasketball/status/1854207948664226286?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 6, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Bayern, which comes off back-to-back road wins, has aced its three tests at home, with Napier averaging 20.7 points against the trio of Real Madrid, Paris Basketball and Olympiacos Piraeus. And Coach Herbert will hope Napier remains in top form for his showdown with Francisco.

Trinchieri and Francisco will also be looking to shine on their Munich visit. The coach has his name on some of the greatest seasons in Bayern history, including its only two EuroLeague playoff appearances in 2021 and 2022. And Francisco, who will be eager to bounce back from a tough outing against AS Monaco last week, will face a handful of former teammates as Zalgiris’s go-to scorer.

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Wonder how a EuroLeague away game trip looks like? Watch, Sylvain Francisco will show you. ✈️ <a href="https://t.co/QznO32jgRU">pic.twitter.com/QznO32jgRU</a></p>&mdash; BC Zalgiris Kaunas (@bczalgiris) <a href="https://twitter.com/bczalgiris/status/1854436228965237177?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 7, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Does the fact that Trinchieri and Francisco know so many of Bayern’s players give them an advantage? Perhaps. But under Coach Herbert, Bayern is playing a different brand of basketball and averaging nearly a dozen points per game more than it did in Trinchieri’s last season there.

On the court, Bayern’s ability to control the glass through Voigtmann and Booker and push the pace through Napier and Weiler-Babb could be the decisive factor, while Zalgiris will rely on a team defensive effort with unsung heroes like [Dovydas Giedraitis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/dovydas-giedraitis/007513/), [Edgaras Ulanovas](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/edgaras-ulanovas/002329/) and [Arnas Butkevicius](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/arnas-butkevicius/002676/) playing key roles. [New Zalgiris signing Lonnie Walker](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/lonnie-walker-joins-zalgiris-kaunas/) is in line to make his debut, too.

At the heart of it all, however, are two teams whose fans can be proud of their fantastic starts to the season. And who should be able to enjoy an intense and exciting Round 8 game.

Both teams have plenty of reasons to be pleased about the decisions that led to them being where they are now

Make sure to take a look at the best plays of the 2024-25 BKT EuroCup Regular Season Round 7!

Edwards from half court! Motorola Magic Moment