Name: Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul-Olympiacos Piraeus | RS Round 1 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
Channel: Euroleague Basketball

Anadolu Efes got its 2024-25 EuroLeague season off to the perfect start, beating Virtus Bologna 67-76 on the road.

Strong fourth quarter lifts Efes to win over Virtus, 67-76

Anadolu Efes Istanbul started the new Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season in the best way possible, going on the road and overcoming Virtus Segafredo Bologna 67-76 on Friday night. In a tight and very physical game, Efes pulled away for good with a 2-15 run early in the fourth quarter, opening a double-digit lead and never allowing Virtus to threaten again.

Dan Oturu led Efes with 14 points and 9 rebounds. Elijah Bryant scored 12, and Shane Larkin had 11 points and 6 rebounds in the win. Isaia Cordinier paced Virtus with a game-high 16 points, while Tornike Shengelia scored 12 in a losing effort.

Game Videos

Efes got going behind Ercan Osmani and Oturu before back-to-back three from Darius Thompson and Osmani opened a 7-13 lead. After a Virtus timeout, however, the hosts replied with back-to-back triples from Daniel Hackett and Cordinier, sparking a 12-0 run capped by Mouhamet Diouf that opened a 19-13 advantage, with Virtus 21-15 ahead after 10 minutes.

The battle became even more physical in the second quarter. Diouf's three-point play made it 24-17, but Jordan Nwora answered with a three-pointer. Ante Zizic had a big put-back dunk, yet Larkin's triple, on his first shot of the night with 4:52 left in the second quarter, tied things at 27-27. Virtus replied with seven straight points, five of which coming from the foul line, but Oturu's three-point play sparked Efes's answer. Oturu finished the half with a dunk just before the buzzer, meaning the two teams were tied, 36-36, at halftime.

Game News

Efes had a great start to the second half. Fueled by Bryant, who scored 6 points, and helped by a three-point play from Oturu, Efes made a 0-11 run to open the third quarter as it took the first double-digit lead of the game, 36-47. Virtus needed nearly five minutes to score in the second half, but Cordinier's basket started a 7-0 run of their own, capped by a three-point play from Shengelia. Marco Belinelli's wide-open corner triple started another 7-0 run from Virtus, capped again by Shengelia, who put the hosts back in front. Virtus led 52-51 after 30 minutes.

In the fourth, Larkin's tough jumper and Vincent Poirier's dunk restored the lead for Efes before three triples on consecutive possessions – one by Rodrigue Beaubois and two by Larkin – made it 56-66. A runner from Bryant set a 58-70 score with under five minutes to go. Virtus attempted a rally, holding Efes without a basket for almost four minutes, but Efes made several defensive stands and saw its win over the line.

Dan Oturu, Elijah Bryant and Shane Larkin scored in double figures for the visitors

Virtus Segafredo Bologna v Anadolu Efes Istanbul (2024-10-04T19:00:00.000Z)

Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul-Olympiacos Piraeus | RS Round 1 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul v Olympiacos Piraeus (2024-10-04T17:30:00.000Z)

Reyer Venezia has announced the signing of Rodney McGruder, who spent the second half of last season playing for EuroLeague team Olimpia Milano.

Reyer Venezia signs Rodney McGruder

Umana Reyer Venice has announced the signing of [Rodney McGruder](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/rodney-mc-gruder/012800/). The club has not stated the length of the contract.

McGruder (1.93 meters, 33 years old) spent the second half of last season playing for EA7 Emporio Armani Milan in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague, averaging 7.6 points and 2.6 rebounds per game across seven appearances.

<center>
<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/DAs5EfsIgaY/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DAs5EfsIgaY/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank"> <div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div></div></div><div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;"><svg width="50px" height="50px" viewBox="0 0 60 60" version="1.1" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g stroke="none" stroke-width="1" fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd"><g transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)" fill="#000000"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path></g></g></g></svg></div><div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style=" color:#3897f0; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;">View this post on Instagram</div></div><div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"><div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"></div></div><div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)"></div></div><div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style=" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"></div></div></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"></div></div></a><p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DAs5EfsIgaY/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Reyer Venezia (@umanareyer)</a></p></div></blockquote>
<script async src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>

Before landing at Milan in January 2024, McGruder had spent nine years alternating between the NBA and the G League. 

Curiously, his first year as a professional came at Hungarian team Atomeromu SE in 2013-14, then he went on to play for the Maine Red Claws (2014-15) and Sioux Falls Skyforce (2015-16; 2018) in the G League, as well as the Miami Heat (2016-19), Los Angeles Clippers (2019-20) and Detroit Pistons (2020-23) in the NBA.

More Reyer News

He spent the second half of last season with fellow Italian side Milan

Reyer signs Rodney McGruder

KK Crvena zvezda grabbed an 77-80 victory at Paris Basketball in Round 1 of the 2024-25 EuroLeague season.

Crvena Zvezda spoils the party for Paris, 77-80

In the first-ever Turkish Airlines EuroLeague game hosted at Adidas Arena, Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade edged Paris Basketball 77-80 in the French capital in Round 1 of the 2024-25 season.

Nemanja Nedovic paced the winners with 21 points on 5-of-6 three-pointers. His only miss came late in the game as he helped Zvezda rally from a 13-point second-half deficit. Isaiah Canaan added 14 points for Zvezda. TJ Shorts led Paris with 16 points. Nadir Hifi and Maodo Lo each added 12 while Kevarrius Hayes had 10 for the hosts.

Nikola Kalinic got Zvezda going with a three-pointer and Joel Bolomboy erased Hayes's jumper with an alley-oop dunk for a 2-5 lead. Hayes scored again, then Canaan followed a triple with a layup to boost the guests' lead to 4-10. Bolomboy capped a 0-7 run with a tip-in, then Leon Kratzer matched that with a floater and Lo followed a three-pointer with a driving layup to cut Paris's deficit to 11-12. Ognjen Dobric and a red-hot Lo traded layups before Canaan found space for a wide-open triple. Collin Malcolm answered from downtown and Shorts hit his trademark pump-fake jumper to give Paris its first lead, 18-17, after 10 minutes.

Shorts buried consecutive jumpers for a 22-17 Paris lead early in the second quarter. Nedovic struck from beyond the arc and matched Hayes's basket with a wild driving layup. Codi Miller-McIntyre sank a jumper off the dribble and Nedovic buried another three-pointer to complete the guests' comeback, 26-27. Rokas Giedraitis and Lo each joined the three-point shootout, then Malcolm's three-point play put Paris back in charge, 32-30. Nadir Hifi found his first points, Yago dos Santos and Mikael Jantunen traded layups, and Shorts soon boosted his team's lead to 39-33. Canaan hit a jumper but Jantunen and an unstoppable Shorts boosted the hosts' margin to 43-35 at halftime.

Canaan scored in penetration soon after the break, then Tyson Ward single-handedly made it a double-digit game, 47-37. Hayes made a pair of free throws and Hifi added a floater to give Paris a 51-38 advantage. Mike Daum scored down low and erased Hifi's driving layup with a jump hook before Luka Mitrovic brought Zvezda within single digits, 53-45. Miller-McIntyre took over with a fast-break layup, Kalinic added a tip-in and Nedovic got the guests even closer at 53-51 after an 0-11 run. Ward swished a corner triple, Bolomboy stepped up with a reverse layup and Shorts restored a 58-53 Paris lead. Nedovic buried a huge three-pointer and Mitrovic's layup tied it at 58-58 after 30 minutes.

Miller-McIntyre scored around the basket to put Zvezda in charge, 58-60. Ward matched that with a put-back layup and Jantunen buried a three-pointer. An unstoppable Nedovic got help from Giedraitis to keep Zvezda ahead, 63-67, with over seven minutes left. Jantunen kept pacing Paris and Hifi buried a rainbow shot from beyond the arc for a 68-67 Paris lead. Nedovic answered from downtown, Kalinic bettered Lo's short jumper with his own triple and Mitrovic scored down low to make Paris call a timeout at 70-75. Shorts hit a stop-and-pop jumper and matched Miller-McIntyre's basket with an outstanding driving layup that gave Paris hope at 74-77 with a minute left. Hifi and Miller-McIntyre each split free throws, then Hifi returned to the line, hitting both attempts for a 77-78 score with 8.3 seconds remaining. Canaan made foul shots and Hifi could not take a shot before the final buzzer.

Nemanja Nedovic's near-perfect shooting night made it happen


Paris Basketball v Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade (2024-10-04T19:00:00.000Z)

Nemanja Nedovic discusses KK Crvena zvezda's Round 1 victory over Paris Basketball and also what it was like facing TJ Shorts.


Nemanja Nedovic: 'TJ Shorts is a legit EuroLeague player'

Nemanja Nedovic discusses Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade's Round 1 victory over Paris Basketball and also what it was like facing TJ Shorts.

Scottie Wilbekin tore his ACL in Fenerbahce Beko's opening-round victory against Olympiacos BC to start the 2024-25 EuroLeague season.

Fenerbahce confirms the worst: Scottie Wilbekin has torn his ACL

The fears of Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul fans have been confirmed as guard [Scottie Wilbekin](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/scottie-wilbekin/006661/) suffered an ACL tear during [his team’s 82-71 win against Olympiacos Piraeus](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/gritty-fenerbahce-sinks-olympiacos-82-71-thanks-to-second-half-onslaught/) in Round 1 of the 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.  

Wilbekin went down holding his knee in the latter stages of the first quarter and had to be helped off the court by his teammates.

“Our player Scottie Wilbekin suffered an injury to his right knee during the game against Olympiacos on Friday, October 4 (today),” read a statement by Fenerbahce. “After the medical examinations of our player at Acıbadem Ataşehir Hospital, an anterior cruciate ligament tear was detected and an operation is planned. We extend our best wishes to Scottie Wilbekin and hope he recovers as soon as possible.”

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="tr" dir="ltr">Scottie Wilbekin’in sağlık durumu hakkında bilgilendirme<br><br>🔗 <a href="https://t.co/j1c3XgGQFH">https://t.co/j1c3XgGQFH</a> <a href="https://t.co/HlRXljR7A5">pic.twitter.com/HlRXljR7A5</a></p>&mdash; Fenerbahçe Beko (@FBBasketbol) <a href="https://twitter.com/FBBasketbol/status/1842306275058557199?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 4, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

The 31-year-old guard is now in his ninth EuroLeague season – his third as a Fenerbahce player – and has played 242 games in the competition, averaging 13.1 points, 2.0 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.2 steals for his career.

The guard is set for a lengthy period on the sidelines

Fenerbahce Beko defeated Olympiacos BC 82-71 in the standout fixture in Round 1 of the 2024-25 EuroLeague season.

Gritty Fenerbahce sinks Olympiacos, 82-71, thanks to second-half onslaught 

Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul earned a hard-fought 82-71 win over Olympiacos Piraeus in the blockbuster clash of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague’s opening round, having fought back from a 32-36 first-half deficit with a stellar performance after the break.

The game was marred by what has turned out to be [a serious knee injury to Fenerbahce guard Scottie Wilbekin](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/fenerbahce-confirms-the-worst-scottie-wilbekin-has-torn-his-acl/), who was carried off the court by his teammates after landing awkwardly in the latter stages of the first quarter.

Wade Baldwin, who joined Fenerbahce from Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv during the offseason, stood out with a magnificent all-round effort of 19 points, 7 assists and 5 boards to propel the home team, while Nigel Hayes-Davis added 15 points.

Bonzie Colson, who arrived alongside Baldwin from Maccabi, chipped in with 10 points and 9 boards and towering center Boban Marjanovic amassed 8 points to go with 4 boards, having arrived in Istanbul after a decade-long stint in the NBA.

At the other end, Moses Wright excelled with 15 points and 7 boards for Olympiacos, Shaquielle McKissic scored 13 points and Sasha Vezenkov, the EuroLeague’s 2023 MVP, finished on 11 points with an underwhelming display upon his return to the club after a season with the Sacramento Kings.

With the Greek side’s big men Nikola Milutinov and Moustapha Fall sidelined by injuries, Fenerbahce took full advantage of the void in the visiting team’s paint to win the rebounding battle overwhelmingly, having collected 44 boards against 24 racked up by Olympiacos.

Fenerbahce raced into an early 10-4 lead which swelled to 24-15 midway through the second quarter, before an audacious McKissic three-pointer helped Olympiacos turn the tide and edge ahead in the closing stages of the first half.

Olympiacos was still in the driving seat early in the third quarter, 36-42, but Fenerbahce then engineered an 11-0 run which turned the tables and eventually enabled the hosts to edge ahead 57-56 ahead of the final period.

The titanic tussle between two of the league’s most heralded teams looked set to go down to the wire with the rivals deadlocked 65-65 midway through the fourth quarter, before Fenerbahce pulled away for good on the back of an 8-0 run.

Any hopes of a final twist Olympiacos might have nurtured were vanquished when Hayes-Davis sank a long three which became a four-point play as he drew a foul from Vezenkov in the process, giving Fenerbahce a decisive 78-69 lead. The hosts then saw out the rest of the game and came away with an 82-71 triumph.

The new-look Turkish side relied on its offseason reinforcements to turn the tide in a pulsating clash 

Fenerbahce Beko head coach Saras Jasikevicius spoke to EuroLeague TV after his team beat Olympiacos BC. In addition to Fenerbahce's performance, he touched on the injury suffered by guard Scottie Wilbekin.

Saras Jasikevicius: 'Scottie’s health is much more important than the win'

Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul head coach Saras Jasikevicius spoke to EuroLeague TV after his team beat Olympiacos Piraeus in Round 1 of the 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season. In addition to Fenerbahce's performance, he touched on the injury suffered by guard Scottie Wilbekin.

Evan Fournier facilitated for Moses Wright to rock the rim with a two-handed jam!

Wright dunks with authority! Motorola Magic Moment

Olimpia Milano has confirmed that center Josh Nebo suffered a groin injury against AS Monaco Basket and will be reevaluated in two weeks.

Josh Nebo (groin) to be reevaluated in two weeks

EA7 Emporio Armani Milan has confirmed that center [Josh Nebo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/josh-nebo/011199/) sustained a muscle injury in his left groin during [the Italian side’s 93-80 defeat at AS Monaco](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/monaco-runs-past-milan-in-opener-93-80/) in Round 1 of the 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.

Nebo ended up playing 22:24 minutes in what was his first game since joining Milan from Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv this past summer. In his time on the court, he amassed 7 points, 2 rebounds and 1 block.

“Olimpia Milano announces that, during the Monaco game, Josh Nebo suffered a muscle injury in his left groin area that will be reevaluated in a fortnight,” Milan confirmed in a statement on Friday night.

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="it" dir="ltr">🇮🇹La Pallacanestro Olimpia Milano comunica che, nel corso della gara di Monaco, Josh Nebo ha riportato una lesione muscolare nella regionale inguinale sinistra che verrà rivalutata in due settimane.<br>🇬🇧During the Monaco EuroLeague game, Josh Nebo reported a muscle injury in the… <a href="https://t.co/SDQNPEPbJ1">pic.twitter.com/SDQNPEPbJ1</a></p>&mdash; Olimpia Milano (@OlimpiaMI1936) <a href="https://twitter.com/OlimpiaMI1936/status/1842268330469498972?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 4, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

How Nebo recovers from this injury will determine when he returns, but the two-week prognosis means he is expected to miss Milan's next three EuroLeague games: at home to Paris Basketball (October 11) and Zalgiris Kaunas (October 17) in Rounds 3 and 5, respectively, and on the road at Olympiacos Piraeus (October 15) in Round 4.

The center played 22:24 minutes on his Milan debut

EA7 Emporio Armani Milan v Zalgiris Kaunas (2024-10-17T18:30:00.000Z)

Olympiacos Piraeus v EA7 Emporio Armani Milan (2024-10-15T18:15:00.000Z)

EA7 Emporio Armani Milan v Paris Basketball (2024-10-11T18:30:00.000Z)

What a no-look pass by Shaq McKissic to Moses Wright, and the latter flushes it down!

McKissic with a no-look pass to Wright for a fine dunk! Motorola Magic Moment

With the shot clock running out, Shaq McKissic drains an off-balance triple from way downtown!

McKissic with an audacious three-pointer! Motorola Magic Moment

With the shot clock running out, Shaq McKissic drains an off-balance triple from way downtown!


The EuroLeague is back for its 25th season, ladies and gentlemen! Round 1 is full of incredible, must-watch matchups.

Game Center: Who is ready for some EuroLeague basketball!?

## Friday, October 4

### [Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul 82-71 Olympiacos Piraeus](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/gritty-fenerbahce-sinks-olympiacos-82-71-thanks-to-second-half-onslaught/)

Fenerbahce earned a hard-fought 82-71 win over Olympiacos in the blockbuster clash of the EuroLeague’s opening round, having fought back from a 32-36 first-half deficit with a stellar performance after the break. The game was marred by what looks like a serious knee injury to Fenerbahce guard Scottie Wilbekin, who was carried off the court by his teammates after landing awkwardly in the latter stages of the first quarter.

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="tr" dir="ltr">EuroLeague&#39;de sezona galibiyetle başlıyoruz! 💛💙<br><br>Tebrikler Fenerbahçe Beko! 💪<br><br>Maç Sonucu | Fenerbahçe Beko 🆚 Olympiacos: 82-71<br><br>Skor dağılımımız: Baldwin 19, Hayes-Davis 15, Colson 10, Marjanovic 8, Sertaç 7, Melli 5, Hall 5, Birch 4, Guduric 4, Zagars 3, Pierre 2.… <a href="https://t.co/SOYpWKcKYg">pic.twitter.com/SOYpWKcKYg</a></p>&mdash; Fenerbahçe Beko (@FBBasketbol) <a href="https://twitter.com/FBBasketbol/status/1842288083145752661?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 4, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

### [Virtus Segafredo Bologna 67-76 Anadolu Efes Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/strong-fourth-quarter-lifts-efes-to-win-over-virtus-67-76/)

Efes started the new EuroLeague season in the best way possible, going on the road and overcoming Virtus 67-76 on Friday night. In a tight and very physical game, Efes pulled away for good with a 2-15 run early in the fourth quarter, opening a double-digit lead and never allowing Virtus to threaten again. Dan Oturu led Efes with 14 points and 9 rebounds. Elijah Bryant scored 12, and Shane Larkin had 11 points and 6 rebounds in the win. Isaia Cordinier paced Virtus with a game-high 16 points, while Tornike Shengelia scored 12 in a losing effort.

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="tr" dir="ltr">👊 EuroLeague’de ilk maç ilk galibiyet!<br>Virtus Segafredo Bologna 67 - 76 Anadolu Efes | Maç Sonucu<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BenimYerimBuras%C4%B1?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BenimYerimBurası</a> <a href="https://t.co/NAuQiVx89A">pic.twitter.com/NAuQiVx89A</a></p>&mdash; Anadolu Efes SK (@AnadoluEfesSK) <a href="https://twitter.com/AnadoluEfesSK/status/1842310413955813847?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 4, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

### [Paris Basketball 77-80 Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/crvena-zvezda-spoils-the-party-for-paris-77-80/)

In the first-ever EuroLeague game hosted at Adidas Arena, Crvena Zvezda edged Paris 77-80 in the French capital in Round 1 of the 2024-25 season. Nemanja Nedovic paced the winners with 21 points on 5-of-6 three-pointers. His only miss came late in the game as he helped Zvezda rally from a 13-point second-half deficit. Isaiah Canaan added 14 points for Zvezda. TJ Shorts led Paris with 16 points. Nadir Hifi and Maodo Lo each added 12 while Kevarrius Hayes had 10 for the hosts.

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Major road W to kick off the <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EuroLeague</a> season in style 🔥<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/kkcz?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#kkcz</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WeAreTheTeam?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WeAreTheTeam</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EveryGameMatters?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EveryGameMatters</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Euroleague25?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Euroleague25</a> <a href="https://t.co/40nOnS0EFk">pic.twitter.com/40nOnS0EFk</a></p>&mdash; KK Crvena zvezda Meridianbet (@kkcrvenazvezda) <a href="https://twitter.com/kkcrvenazvezda/status/1842309284622983187?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 4, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

## Thursday, October 3

### [ALBA Berlin 77-87 Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/panathinaikos-bc-beats-alba-in-berlin-77-87/)

In its first return to the German capital since winning the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague title last May, Panathinaikos collected its first win as reigning champion by downing ALBA 77-87 at Uber Arena in Round 1 on Thursday night. Kendrick Nunn paced the winners with 16 points. Mathias Lessort added 14 and 8 rebounds, and Juancho Hernangomez had 11 points, while Kostas Sloukas and Jerian Grant scored 10 points apiece for Panathinaikos. Will McDowell-White netted 13 points in his EuroLeague debut with ALBA. Martin Hermannsson added 12, Trevion Williams had 11 while Khalifa Koumadje pulled down 13 rebounds for the hosts.

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Final score ☘️<a href="https://twitter.com/albaberlin?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@albaberlin</a> - <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/paobcaktor?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#paobcaktor</a> 77-87<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WeTheGreens?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WeTheGreens</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LiveTheGreenMagic?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LiveTheGreenMagic</a> <a href="https://t.co/qrP1AGvcHo">pic.twitter.com/qrP1AGvcHo</a></p>&mdash; Panathinaikos BC (@Paobcgr) <a href="https://twitter.com/Paobcgr/status/1841909551957737797?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 3, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

### [Zalgiris Kaunas 74-67 FC Barcelona](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/zalgiris-kaunas-powers-past-barcelona-74-67/)

Zalgiris kicked off the 2024-45 EuroLeague campaign in style by beating Barcelona 74-67 at a buzzing Zalgirio Arena on Thursday. The hosts dictated the tempo throughout the duel and imposed their style of play on Barcelona by playing tough on defense, forcing the visitors to score fewer than 20 points in each of the four quarters.

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Zalgiris starts the new EuroLeague season with a home W! 💚<br><br>(Presented by: Go3). <a href="https://t.co/cMFtAoQTQC">pic.twitter.com/cMFtAoQTQC</a></p>&mdash; BC Zalgiris Kaunas (@bczalgiris) <a href="https://twitter.com/bczalgiris/status/1841916142929228229?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 3, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

### [AS Monaco 93-80 EA7 Emporio Armani Milan](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/monaco-runs-past-milan-in-opener-93-80/)

Monaco led from start to finish and opened the new Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season in style, downing the visiting Milan 93-80 on Thursday night. Monaco opened the game with an 18-4 run and held a 21-point lead at halftime behind its 12 offensive rebounds. The visitors halved the lead early in the fourth quarter behind Armoni Brooks, and briefly got within single digits, but Monaco’s lead was never in danger.

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="fr" dir="ltr">♨️ 𝙌𝙐𝙀𝙇𝙇𝙀 𝙋𝙍𝙀𝙈𝙄𝙀̀𝙍𝙀 ! 🤩<br><br>🔝 En surclassant Milan, la <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RocaTeam?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RocaTeam</a> lance idéalement sa campagne d&#39;Euroleague devant son public ! 👏🥁<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DagheMunegu?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DagheMunegu</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EveryGameMatters?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EveryGameMatters</a> <a href="https://t.co/bezaJA7YN8">pic.twitter.com/bezaJA7YN8</a></p>&mdash; AS Monaco Basket 🇲🇨 (@ASMonaco_Basket) <a href="https://twitter.com/ASMonaco_Basket/status/1841917184013959354?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 3, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

### [Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz 88-82 Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/baskonia-grinds-down-partizan-88-82-thanks-to-cohesive-team-effort/)

Baskonia celebrated an impressive 88-82 home win over Partizan in Round 1 of the EuroLeague after coming from behind in an enthralling contest which lit up a packed Buesa Arena. New arrival Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot, who joined Baskonia from French rival LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne during the offseason, came up big on his debut for the Spanish outfit as he earned the player of the game award after racking up 15 points, 4 boards, 2 assists and 1 block in a smooth all-round performance.

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="es" dir="ltr">LA PRIMERAAAAA YA ESTÁ AQUÍ 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥<br><br>1/1 en <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EuroLeague</a> ✅✅✅✅<br><br>¡Vamooooos! <a href="https://t.co/dtiWGxZpJL">pic.twitter.com/dtiWGxZpJL</a></p>&mdash; Baskonia (@Baskonia) <a href="https://twitter.com/Baskonia/status/1841941089609027905?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 3, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

### [FC Bayern Munich 97-89 Real Madrid](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/bayern-munich-takes-opening-night-thriller-over-real-madrid-97-89/)

In a thrilling contest of constant swings in momentum, Bayern eventually overcame Real Madrid, 97-89, to claim a famous victory from the first game at the spectacular new SAP Garden. The first two quarters followed the same pattern, with Bayern starting strong but Real responding to keep it close at halftime. The script was flipped as the Spanish team surged clear with a 0-13 run after the break, but Bayern came back magnificently with its own 13-0 run to grab the win.

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">WIN!!! 🤯 What a spectacle at the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SAPGarden?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SAPGarden</a>! We beat <a href="https://twitter.com/RMBaloncesto?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RMBaloncesto</a> in a true thriller during its opening. Incredible, what a game! 🎉🔥 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FCBB?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FCBB</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WeBallTogether?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WeBallTogether</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BAYRMB?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BAYRMB</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EuroLeague</a> <a href="https://t.co/tIiGHV2ApZ">pic.twitter.com/tIiGHV2ApZ</a></p>&mdash; FC Bayern Basketball (@FCBBasketball) <a href="https://twitter.com/FCBBasketball/status/1841946888997613604?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 3, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

### [Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv 89-82 LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/report-maccabi-vs-asvel/)

Maccabi opened its EuroLeague season in style with an 89-82 victory over ASVEL, coming back from 10 points down in a game that featured 23 lead changes. Tamir Blatt had career highs of 21 points, 12 assists and 37 PIR for Maccabi while Jaylen Hoard and Jordan Loyd both scored 15 points, while Jasiel Rivero added 11 points and 9 rebounds. Joffrey Lauvergne paced ASVEL with 17 points and Paris Lee tallied 12 points and 4 assists.

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Tamir Blatt leads the way in Round 1 for <a href="https://twitter.com/MaccabiTLVBC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MaccabiTLVBC</a>!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EveryGameMatters?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EveryGameMatters</a> <a href="https://t.co/PqsMKnq93k">pic.twitter.com/PqsMKnq93k</a></p>&mdash; Turkish Airlines EuroLeague (@EuroLeague) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague/status/1841944000384897214?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 3, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Some 130 days after Panathinaikos lifted the EuroLeague title in Berlin, the new season got underway on Thursday night

Game Center: Zvezda, Efes win on the road; Fener topples Olympiacos

FC Bayern Munich v Real Madrid (2024-10-03T18:45:00.000Z)

Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz v Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade (2024-10-03T18:30:00.000Z)

Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv v LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne (2024-10-03T19:00:00.000Z)

Zalgiris Kaunas v FC Barcelona (2024-10-03T17:00:00.000Z)

AS Monaco v EA7 Emporio Armani Milan (2024-10-03T17:00:00.000Z)

ALBA Berlin v Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens (2024-10-03T16:45:00.000Z)

Zan Tabak, the head coach of Trefl Sopot, spoke with David Hein about his past experiences, his return to Trefl and the future of Polish basketball.

Trefl head coach Zan Tabak: 'Polish basketball has huge potential'

Trefl Sopot is back in the BKT EuroCup for the first time since the 2012-13 season and Zan Tabak, the club’s head coach, is excited about the future of basketball in Poland.

Tabak was head coach for Trefl the last time it was in the EuroCup and the 54-year-old is in year three back with the club, having guided Trelf to its first Polish League championship last season.

“We are really excited to be back in the EuroCup because this was our main goal when I signed the long-term deal with Trefl,” Tabak, who returned to Trefl in 2022, tells David Hein. “One of the objectives was to put the team back in Europe, where it was many years ago.”

Tabak knows about elite basketball. He was a member of the famous Jugoplastika Split team that won the EuroLeague title three years on the trot, from 1988 to 1991, and he won an Olympic silver medal in 1992 while playing for Croatia against the USA’s famous Dream Team in Barcelona. He also won the 1995 NBA championship alongside Hakeem Olajuwon with the Houston Rockets.

Zan Tabak during his days playing in the EuroCup for Joventut Badalona.

After retiring in 2005, he was an assistant coach for Real Madrid, where together they won the EuroCup in 2007 and the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague in 2015. Tabak has been a head coach in Europe’s premier club basketball competition, too, having led Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz and Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv.

Most of his success as a play-caller has come in Poland, where he guided Trefl to the 2012 Polish Super Cup and then led Zielona Gora to the 2020 Polish Super Cup and Polish League title, in addition to the 2021 Polish National Cup.

Tabak left Trefl back in November 2012 and took over as Baskonia head coach after the Spanish club fired Dusko Ivanovic, yet he knew his departure from the Polish side was going to be a matter of when, not if.

“Trefl was in a really tough financial situation. My contract was a burden for the team,” Tabak recalls. “The objectives of the team changed because of the sudden problems in the financial situation. We came to mutual agreement.”

“That season was a big learning experience for me, and I believe the best teaching lessons are learned from your own mistakes. I think what I learned most at that time was about group leadership and the group energy,” he says of his season with Baskonia, which he led to the team making the EuroLeague Playoffs before losing the series 3-1 to CSKA Moscow.

Zan Tabak dishes out instructions as Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv head coach in the 2015-16 EuroLeague season.

Tabak stayed in contact with the bosses at Trefl and talked to them again in the spring of 2022 after being fired from Spanish outfit San Pablo Burgos in November 2021. He was apprehensive that the team would not be playing in a European competition in 2022-23, but the long-term vision appealed to him.

He then guided Trefl back to the Polish League playoffs in his first year. Then, last season, the team finished second in the regular-season standings but came back from a 3-1 deficit in the finals against King Szczecin to secure the club’s first league crown.

“I believe it was not expected because we didn't have the most talented group of players, but we had the best team,” Tabak states. “We had the best connection, the best chemistry between the players, and each one of them gave their maximum at every moment. Me being the one who could bring that to Sopot, it's a great feeling.”

Jaroslaw Zyskowski and Zan Tabak during Trefl's EuroCup media day.

Over the course of his career, Tabak has seen basketball take big steps in Poland. The country reached the FIBA EuroBasket 2022 semifinals for the first time since 1969, and it finished eighth at the 2019 FIBA World Cup on its first appearance since 1967.

Tabak, however, believes the national team’s performance is not a true indicator of a country’s strength but rather how many of its teams are playing in European club competitions.

Poland has a representative in the EuroCup for the fourth straight season and sixth in the last seven years. King Szczecin and Slask Wroclaw are both playing this season in the Basketball Champions League, PGE Spojnia Stargard and Anwil Wloclawek are competing in the FIBA Europe Cup, and Legia Warsaw and Dziki Warsaw are playing in the European North Basketball League (ENBL).

“I believe the infrastructure and clubs’ organization have gone up since I was here the first time. I see the country with huge potential,” he proclaims, particularly given Poland’s population of 38 million people.

"It's a really big country. Its economy is doing really good. And I believe Polish people, genetically, have a really good predisposition to play basketball. I think Polish basketball has, in the last 10 years, definitely gone way up.”

Tabak now thinks those at the top of Polish basketball need to work on making the game more popular and also increase the money in the sport in order to keep the country’s best players in Poland.

“I believe that Polish basketball needs to get to the level where all Polish players, the best Polish players, are staying in Poland,” he says. “This needs to come through a longer period of lifting all of Polish basketball to the next level.

“Polish clubs need to financially be stronger and play a bigger role in Europe so that they are attractive for the best Polish players to stay in Poland.”

Olek Balcerowski, for example, is on the books at Unicaja Malaga this season after helping Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens win the EuroLeague title last May. Mateusz Ponitka is with Bahcesehir College Istanbul in the EuroCup after spending five seasons in the EuroLeague, Michal Sokolowski is with Dinamo Sassari in his fifth season abroad, while Jeremy Sochan is in the NBA. Young prospect Igor Milicic is in his fourth season in college in the United States and Jakub Niziol played in the EuroCup last season with Slask Wroclaw, but he now plays in France for State Rochelais.

If they were all playing for Polish clubs, things would look a lot different. Just like Zan Tabak believes.

The Croatian play-caller spoke with David Hein about his past experiences, his return to Trefl and how he sees the future of basketball in Poland

Fenerbahçe Beko and Olympiacos BC made last year's EuroLeague Final Four and are aiming to go even further this season, making their Round 1 matchup must-see TV.

Final Four-chasing Fenerbahçe, Olympiacos set for Round 1 collision

Two powerhouses with super-high expectations, Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul and Olympiacos Piraeus, clash on Friday night (19:30 CEST) in Round 1 of the 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague campaign.

Both teams are coming off appearances at the 2024 EuroLeague Final Four in Berlin, where they met in the third-place game. It was not the finish to the season they wanted, so both clubs went out and made the changes they felt were necessary to take another step forward.

Now, following the additions they have made, Fenerbahce and Olympiacos enter the new season as not only a strong contender to make the Final Four but to win the whole thing.

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="tr" dir="ltr">Yeni sezon, yeni heyecan! 🙌<br><br>Haydi! 💪<br><br>Yine son ana dek, omuz omuza, hep birlikte mücadele edelim! 💛💙<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/YellowLegacy?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#YellowLegacy</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EuroLeague?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EuroLeague</a> <a href="https://t.co/CChBHm6rJU">pic.twitter.com/CChBHm6rJU</a></p>&mdash; Fenerbahçe Beko (@FBBasketbol) <a href="https://twitter.com/FBBasketbol/status/1842153492971962369?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 4, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Fenerbahce let Nick Calathes and Georgios Papagiannis head out the door, but coach Sarunas Jasikevicius was able to welcome several notable signings. All-EuroLeague guard [Wade Baldwin](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/wade-baldwin-iv/009863/) and forward [Bonzie Colson](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/bonzie-colson/009783/) joined from Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv, while [Nicolo Melli](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/nicolo-melli/002849/) – returning to Fenerbahce after playing there between 2017 and 2019 – came in from EA7 Emporio Armani Milan, as did [Devon Hall](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/devon-hall/011205/). The Turkish side also added size under its rims with the arrivals of ex-NBA duo [Boban Marjanovic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/boban-marjanovic/lmg/) and [Khem Birch](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/khem-birch/007182/).

Olympiacos, meanwhile, brought back the 2023 EuroLeague MVP, [Sasha Vezenkov](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/sasha-vezenkov/003469/), as well as [Tyler Dorsey](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/tyler-dorsey/009849/), two key players in its run to the 2023 championship game. The Reds then bolstered their perimeter with scorer [Evan Fournier](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/evan-fournier/013380/) and playmaker [Luca Vildoza](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/luca-vildoza/007947/), while the only significant loss from last year’s roaster was the departure of [Isaiah Canaan](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/isaiah-canaan/010612/).

So, after a lot of additions and just a few subtractions, both clubs are not hiding anything: they are ready to fight for the 2024-25 EuroLeague title.

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">🔴⚪𝗜𝘁&#39;𝘀 𝗚𝗮𝗺𝗲𝗱𝗮𝘆 <br>🏀 <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@euroleague</a> - Round 1<br>🆚 Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul<br>🕒 20:30 🇬🇷 <br>📌 Ulker Sports and Event Hall<br>📺 Novasports Prime<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OlympiacosBC?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#OlympiacosBC</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WeAreOlympiacos?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WeAreOlympiacos</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TogetherWeFight?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TogetherWeFight</a> <a href="https://t.co/y2yBJw7N2U">pic.twitter.com/y2yBJw7N2U</a></p>&mdash; Olympiacos B.C. (@Olympiacos_BC) <a href="https://twitter.com/Olympiacos_BC/status/1842127375838110039?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 4, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

If one wonders what kind of a game to expect on the Asian side of Istanbul on Friday night, just take a peek at how their three head-to-head games went last season.

In the third-place game at the 2024 Final Four in Berlin, [Olympiacos beat Fenerbahce 87-84](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/olympiacos-left-the-final-four-on-a-high/). Both clashes between Fenerbahce and Olympiacos in the 2023-24 regular season were also decided by three points or fewer. In Round 6, [Fenerbahce held on for a 79-77 home victory](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/euroleague-live-blog-fenerbahce-basketball-vs-olympiacos-bc/), while Round 34 saw [Olympiacos grab an 84-81 overtime win](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/live-blog-olympiacos-bc-vs-fenerbahce-beko/).

Olympiacos - Fenerbahce | Third-Place Game HIGHLIGHTS | 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

The Reds will be missing big man [Moustapha Fall](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/moustapha-fall/008811/) and [Nikola Milutinov](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/nikola-milutinov/003941/), but don’t doubt that coach Georgios Bartzokas will have a couple of things up his sleeve.

So, make sure to tune in to EuroLeague TV this Friday night to watch this can’t-miss EuroLeague bout between two giants. Grab your popcorn, too.

A pair of EuroLeague giants go against one another on the Asian side of Istanbul on Friday night

Final Four-chasing Fenerbahce, Olympiacos set for Round 1 collision

Look back at all the action in Round 2 of the 2024-25 BKT EuroCup season by checking out the best photos of the week! 

Top 10 photos from Round 2

The fans of FC Bayern Basketball were treated to a show in the first-ever EuroLeague game at SAP Garden, the club's new home, as Gordie Herbert's side defeated 10-time champion Real Madrid on Thursday night.

Bayern’s new home already delivering top-class entertainment

FC Bayern Munich boasts a sparkling new home for the 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season, with the 12,500-capacity SAP Garden opening its doors for the first time on Thursday night [with a visit from Real Madrid](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/bayern-munich-takes-opening-night-thriller-over-real-madrid-97-89/).

And after a dramatic and glitzy official opening ceremony featuring Bayern club president Herbert Hainer, honorary president Uli Hoeness and the basketball section’s boss, Marko Pesic, the stage was perfectly set for the home team players to strut their stuff in a prestigious season opener against the mighty Real Madrid.

They did not disappoint.

With Euroleague Basketball President Dejan Bodiroga and CEO Paulius Motiejunas looking on – as well as Bayern football stars Serge Gnabry and Joshua Kimmich – coach Gordie Herbert’s men started their club’s new era with a spectacular offensive exhibition in the first half.

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Our CEO Paulius Motiejunas and President Dejan Bodiroga present at the opening of SAP Garden in Munich!<br><br>Hear their thoughts on this special 2024-25 season🗣️ <a href="https://t.co/7RxgPkvVPA">pic.twitter.com/7RxgPkvVPA</a></p>&mdash; Turkish Airlines EuroLeague (@EuroLeague) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague/status/1841916232712520153?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 3, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

[Andreas Obst](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/andreas-obst/004508/) was the first to shine, netting 8 points in 90 seconds, including the first two long-range strikes in SAP Garden. Then summer arrivals [Johannes Voigtmann](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/johannes-voigtmann/007201/) and [Shabazz Napier](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/shabazz-napier/011224/) joined in the fun by sinking three-pointers, allowing Bayern to christen its new home by scoring 25 points in the first eight minutes.

But Real Madrid are not exactly the kind of opponent to simply roll over and allow the hosts to enjoy their opening party with a comfortable win, and the Spanish giant showed its class by taking control of the contest and threatening to play the role of party pooper.

The first warning came at the end of the first quarter, when a 1-11 run was concluded by new Real signing [Xavier Rathan-Mayes](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/xavier-rathan-mayes/013378/) sinking an improbable half-court shot to beat the buzzer and give his team a 26-29 lead.

The second quarter saw Bayern again start strong before once more Real responded, with both teams producing impressively efficient offensive production at this early stage of the season. By halftime, Bayern had converted 9 of its 13 two-point attempts and 9 of 19 from long range, while Real was even more impressive with 15 of 18 from inside the arc and 4 of 9 from deep, allowing both teams to surpass the half-century mark with a 52-51 scoreline.

Bayern Munich vs. Real Madrid | Round 1 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

When Real then blasted clear in the third quarter, embarking upon a 0-13 run to take a double-digit advantage, Bayern fans would have been forgiven for thinking that their special opening night would end in disappointment.

But the home team players had other ideas, with triples from Voigtmann and Napier – new signings enjoying the bright lights of the new arena – taking Bayern back into the lead. [Carsen Edwards](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/carsen-edwards/011987/) was also on fire as Bayern scored 18 points in the first five minutes of the final period, and another Voigtmann three-pointer appeared to have sealed the deal as Real looked to be running out of steam.

The Spanish side cannot be written off so easily, though, and [Facu Campazzo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/facundo-campazzo/005928/) inspired a comeback which made it a one-point game, 90-89, with 20 seconds to play.

So, the new arena had a grandstand finale in a meeting between two of the world’s most famous sporting institutions. The perfect script had been written, and it was given a perfect ending for the hosts as team captain [Vladimir Lucic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/vladimir-lucic/001288/) – a Bayern stalwart since 2016 – stayed cool at the free-throw line to drag his team over the winning line.

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Thank you fans for this amazing support tonight! ❤️🤍<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FCBB?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FCBB</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BAYRMB?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BAYRMB</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EuroLeague?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EuroLeague</a> <a href="https://t.co/jTiteXBIbZ">pic.twitter.com/jTiteXBIbZ</a></p>&mdash; FC Bayern Basketball (@FCBBasketball) <a href="https://twitter.com/FCBBasketball/status/1841963336700776933?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 3, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

The only problem now is that such a high bar has been set: can SAP Garden deliver such high-level entertainment every week? Surely not… but it will be fun to find out.

SAP Garden was electric on Thursday night as coach Gordie Herbert inspired his team to a famous win over Real Madrid

Pablo Laso got off to a winning start in his first game as the head coach of Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz, his hometown club, as the team beat KK Partizan in Round 1 of the 2024-25 EuroLeague season.

Baskonia showed steel to give Pablo Laso a perfect homecoming 

For three quarters, it looked like Pablo Laso would not have much to cheer about after his first game in charge of Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz, where the 56-year-old tactician started out as a player at the young age of 17 and spent 11 seasons at the club.

Laso also enjoyed a glorious 11-year spell as a coach at Real Madrid, where he won two Turkish EuroLeague titles before moving to Bayern Munich in 2023. With much fanfare, [Laso took over at Baskonia in June](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/baskonia-appoints-pablo-laso-as-head-coach/) this year and appeared set for a sour start in Round 1 against Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade as the visitors were in the driving seat until midway through the fourth quarter.

However, Baskonia then forced the final twist thanks to ironclad defense coupled with some inspired offense.

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="es" dir="ltr">Un momento HISTÓRICO 💙❤️<br><br>Pablo Laso salta, entre aplausos de toda su afición, a la pista del Buesa Arena como técnico azulgrana 🫡<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GoazenBaskonia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GoazenBaskonia</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/pablolaso?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@pablolaso</a> <a href="https://t.co/at7Gcq9tmN">pic.twitter.com/at7Gcq9tmN</a></p>&mdash; Baskonia (@Baskonia) <a href="https://twitter.com/Baskonia/status/1841905993405587506?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 3, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

New signing [Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/timothe-luwawu-cabarrot/012080/) provided the spark in a tough 88-82 win with a flawless all-round display and the rest of the team followed in his footsteps, with five home players finishing in double digits. Crucially, Baskonia outmuscled Partizan in the paint as the hosts racked up 6 blocks to Partizan’s zero and won the battle of the boards 30-27, just enough to put a smile on Laso’s face.

“We knew Partizan was going to stay tough,” the visibly relieved Baskonia head coach said in a post-game courtside interview. “Our offensive performance was better in the second half; we were able to move the ball and get easier shots as well as better percentages. We got our rhythm back offensively and we did a good job on defense throughout the game.”

Laso could not stress enough just how much the fervent home crowd support meant to Baskonia when the chips were down.

“I know what it means to play here and without the fan support we would never have won this game. They were fantastic, the atmosphere was great and winning the first home game means a lot to us,” he added.

Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz head coach Pablo Laso shares his thoughts after his team's win against Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade in Round 1 of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season.

Pablo Laso: 'I know what it means to play here'

Luwawu-Cabarrot, who mixed long-range shooting with an audacious slam dunk to earn the player of the game award on the back of 15 points and 4 boards, hinted he had fit seamlessly after joining Baskonia from LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne this summer.

“I am feeling great, it’s a great victory for us and it’s just what we needed after the setback against Tenerife \[in the Spanish League\],” the versatile Frenchman said. “It was a team win and everybody contributed. My teammates are great, they give me confidence and the coach is great, too. I work every single day for big moments and it’s awesome \[to make big plays\].”

Captain [Tadas Sedekerskis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/tadas-sedekerskis/007230/) echoed Luwawu-Cabarrot’s words, having sank 14 points to go with 6 boards. “It’s a super important win because it’s a new team with a lot of new players,” noted the Lithuania forward. “They work hard and we have a great chemistry in the locker room, and that’s the most important thing.”

Baskonia visits Partizan’s archrival Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade in Round 2, while Partizan continues its Spanish tour with a daunting trip to last season’s runner-up Real Madrid.  

The outfit from the Basque Country excelled offensively in the second half and delighted their head coach in his first game in charge of his boyhood club 