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Live Blog: Trio of Thursday games opens Round 23

Valencia Basket v Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv (2023-02-02T19:30:00.000Z)

EA7 Emporio Armani Milan v Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade (2023-02-02T19:30:00.000Z)

FC Barcelona v FC Bayern Munich (2023-02-02T19:30:00.000Z)

Head coach Andrea Trinchieri will not be in attendance when FC Bayern Munich visits FC Barcelona in Round 23 on Thursday evening due to a bereavement, the club announced. Bayern will be led by assistant coach Adriano Vertemati.

 

On Tuesday night, Bayern lost 82-73 on the road at Valencia Basket in its first game of this double-round week. The team will look to try and respond to that defeat up the coast in Barcelona this Thursday evening.

 

Euroleague Basketball extends its condolences to Coach Trinchieri.

<center>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">For tonight‘s game against Barca his coaching staff around assistant Adriano Vertemati will stand in for him.</p>&mdash; FC Bayern Basketball (@FCBBasketball) <a href="https://twitter.com/FCBBasketball/status/1621177036244160514?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 2, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Andrea Trinchieri to miss Bayern's game at Barcelona

FC Bayern Munich forward Augustine Rubit has been named the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague MVP of the Month for January, becoming the club's first-ever player to earn this accolade. Rubit discussed earning MVP of the Month honors, Bayern's upturn in form in the month of January and the confidence he feels from Andrea Trinchieri, as well as the level of quality in this season's EuroLeague.

Augustine Rubit, Bayern: 'The most competitive league in the world'

Round 23 will see a number of significant showdowns in the race for the playoffs, including three games between teams separated by just one win. Here's your guide to Thursday and Friday's games.

[FC Barcelona vs. FC Bayern Munich](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2022-23/fc-barcelona-fc-bayern-munich/E2022/199/)

After suffering a narrow defeat at Valencia on Tuesday, Bayern (9-13) will complete its week in eastern Spain by travelling up the coast to face third-placed Barcelona (14-8). Bayern will be led by in-form guard Cassius Winston, who has averaged 15.8 points and 4.8 assists over the last five games. Barca gained confidence with a hard-earned home win over Maccabi two days ago, and Sarunas Jasikevicius will now demand consistency from his players in what will surely be a physical game.

[EA7 Emporio Armani Milan vs. Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2022-23/ea7-emporio-armani-milan-crvena-zvezda-meridianbet-belgrade/E2022/200/)

Milan (7-15) will look to keep climbing the standings by making it two wins in three days with a visit from Zvezda (10-12), which needs to revive its playoffs push after losing three in a row. Versatile big man Johannes Voigtmann was key to Milan's victory over Baskonia on Tuesday, scoring in double digits (16 points) for the first time this season and also grabbing 8 rebounds, while Zvezda needs to boost its offense after averaging just 72 points during its three-game losing run.

[Valencia Basket vs. Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2022-23/valencia-basket-maccabi-playtika-tel-aviv/E2022/201/)

A crucial clash in the race for the playoffs takes place at La Fonteta on Thursday, when eighth-placed Valencia (12-10) welcomes one of the teams immediately below in the standings, Maccabi (11-11). The Israeli team won the first meeting between the teams with a blowout, 84-68, so Valencia is unlikely to claim the head-to-head advantage. But the host – which is the hottest team in the league with five straight wins – knows that another victory would secure a two-game margin and its place in the top eight.

[Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul vs. ALBA Berlin](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2022-23/fenerbahce-beko-istanbul-alba-berlin/E2022/202/)

On paper, rock-bottom ALBA (6-16) would appear to be the ideal opponent for Fenerbahce (13-9) to snap its two-game losing run in Friday's opening tip-off. But this EuroLeague season is more competitive than ever before and no outcome can really be regarded as a "shock", so there's no room for complacency from Dimitris Itoudis's team against an ALBA squad which has lost four straight. Fener will be desperate to find early offensive fluency after losing the first quarter 12-25 and 10-24 in respective recent losses to ASVEL and Olympiacos.

[Zalgiris Kaunas vs. Partizan Mozzartbet Belgrade](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2022-23/zalgiris-kaunas-partizan-mozzart-bet-belgrade/E2022/204/)

Zalgiris (12-10) is in danger of dropping out of the playoffs places after losing its last two games, and will be overtaken by direct rival Partizan (11-11) if the Serbian team can end the host's four-game winning streak in Kaunas. Partizan won the Round 5 meeting between the teams in Belgrade, 87-76, behind 26 points from Kevin Punter, who also hit 22 points to down ASVEL earlier this week. His shooting will be a key factor in determining the outcome on Friday.

Round 23 at a glance: AS Monaco vs. Real Madrid

[AS Monaco vs. Real Madrid](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2022-23/as-monaco-real-madrid/E2022/203/)

A major showdown takes place in the principality, with joint-third Monaco (14-8) aiming to overtake co-leader Real (15-7). A home win would give Monaco the head-to-head advantage after a crazy win in Madrid in December, when a wild four-point play by Mike James forced overtime. James has led the red-hot Monaco offense to score 94, 101 and 102 points in its last three games. Real needs another big night from its scoring leader, Dzanan Musa, who has registered double-digits in 19 games this season and netted 24 points in that game against Monaco.

[Olympiacos Piraeus vs. Anadolu Efes Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2022-23/olympiacos-piraeus-anadolu-efes-istanbul/E2022/205/)

High-flying Olympiacos (15-8) will look to take a significant step in the quest to secure a top-four finish by downing inconsistent reigning champion Efes (11-11) – which has won just one of its last five on the road – at a sold-out Peace and Friendship Stadium. Olympiacos has been receiving great backcourt leadership from Thomas Walkup, who averages 6.4 assists in the last five games, and his intense defense against Efes stars guards Vasilije Micic and Shane Larkin will be crucial for the Reds in this playoffs-style matchup.

Round 23 at a glance: Olympiacos Piraeus vs. Anadolu Efes Istanbul

[Cazoo Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz vs. Panathinaikos Athens](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2022-23/cazoo-baskonia-vitoria-gasteiz-panathinaikos-athens/E2022/207/)

Baskonia's (12-10) place in the top eight is in peril after a run of five losses in six games, and will face a hungry opponent as Panathinaikos (8-14) looks to boost its fragile playoffs ambitions. Baskonia is looking for revenge after suffering a 98-83 loss in Athens in Round 7, when Georgios Papagiannis gave his team control of the paint with a double-double of 11 points and 11 rebounds. And the Spanish team needs to improve its defense after allowing its opponent to score at least 83 points in each of the last seven games.

[LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne vs. Virtus Segafredo Bologna](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2022-23/ldlc-asvel-villeurbanne-virtus-segafredo-bologna/E2022/206/)

The week's action concludes with a meeting between two ambitious clubs as ASVEL (8-14) welcomes Virtus (10-12). A highlight will be the backcourt duel between former teammates Nando De Colo and Milos Teodosic, who shone together as they led CSKA Moscow to the title in 2016. Teodosic is still delivering classy performances, with 9 assists in victory over Zvezda earlier this week, while De Colo remains the key offensive weapon for ASVEL with an average of 13.6 points per game.

Round 23: Double-round roars to a finish

Cazoo Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz v Panathinaikos Athens (2023-02-03T19:30:00.000Z)

LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne v Virtus Segafredo Bologna (2023-02-03T20:00:00.000Z)

Olympiacos Piraeus v Anadolu Efes Istanbul (2023-02-03T19:00:00.000Z)

Zalgiris Kaunas v Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade (2023-02-03T18:00:00.000Z)

AS Monaco v Real Madrid (2023-02-03T18:00:00.000Z)

Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul v ALBA Berlin (2023-02-03T17:45:00.000Z)

Turkish Airlines EuroLeague co-leaders Olympiacos Piraeus have announced a new club record by selling out Peace and Friendship Stadium for the fourth consecutive time and fifth overall this season for Friday's game against defending champion Anadolu Efes Istanbul.

 Olympiacos marks fourth straight sellout for Efes visit 

Turkish Airlines EuroLeague co-leaders Olympiacos Piraeus have announced a new club record by selling out Peace and Friendship Stadium for the fourth consecutive time and fifth overall this season[ for Friday's game against defending champion Anadolu Efes Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2022-23/olympiacos-piraeus-anadolu-efes-istanbul/E2022/205/).

Olympiacos sold out its three previous EuroLeague games – against EA7 Emporio Armani Milan, Real Madrid and Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv – and it is no coincidence that the Reds won all three games to remain undefeated at home in 2023.

Efes makes its first visit to Piraeus since downing Olympiacos in last season's EuroLeague semifinals. In a game that went down to the wire, Efes edged Olympiacos 74-77 on a buzzer-beating three-point shot by Vasilije Micic.

The last time these teams met at Peace and Friendship Stadium, the game was also decided at the buzzer in what was another instant classic. That time, Olympiacos needed overtime to edge Efes 87-85 on a game-winning three-pointer by Kostas Sloukas. 

Both teams have retained the same core of players, which makes this showdown even better. Don't miss it! 

Olympiacos marks fourth straight sellout for Efes visit

[Ignas Brazdeikis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/ignas-brazdeikis/011983/) of Zalgiris led all scorers in this round with 25 points. [Dwayne Bacon](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/dwayne-bacon/011286/) of Panathinaikos Athens leads the league with 19.4 points per game. Olympiacos Piraeus forward [Sasha Vezenkov](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/sasha-vezenkov/003469/) had 12 rebounds, the most in Round 22. Vezenkov also leads the league with 7.4 rebounds per game. Virtus Segafredo Bologna playmaker [Milos Teodosic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/milos-teodosic/jdr/) led all players in Round 22 with 9 assists. Olympiacos guard [Kostas Sloukas](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/kostas-sloukas/001926/) is this season's assist leader with an average of 6.6 per night. Five players had 3 steals in this round: [Zach LeDay](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/zach-leday/008987/) of Partizan, Paris Lee of Panathinaikos Athens, [Michalis Lountzis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/michalis-lountzis/006302/) of Olympiacos Piraeus, [Bonzie Colson](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/bonzie-colson/009783/) of Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv and [Ognjen Dobric](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/ognjen-dobric/004007/) of Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade. Olympiacos guard [Thomas Walkup](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/thomas-walkup/008855/) tops the charts for steals, averaging 2.0 per game. Four players had 3 blocks in Round 22: [Bryant Dunston](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/bryant-dunston/003048/) of Efes, [Arturas Gudaitis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/arturas-gudaitis/003120/) of Panathinaikos, [Steven Enoch](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/steven-enoch/011239/) of Baskonia and [Freddie Gillespie](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/freddie-gillespie/011941/) of Bayern. Real Madrid big man [Walter Tavares](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/walter-tavares/005791/) is this season's top shot blocker with 2.6 per game. The lone double-double this round belongs to Vezenkov, who had 12 points and 12 rebounds.

Individual highs: Sasha Vezenkov, Olympiacos, 12 rebounds          

Turkish Airlines EuroLeague fans, we have our 22nd winner in the [EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge, powered by Ardu Prime](https://euroleaguefantasy.euroleaguebasketball.net/es/home?_ga=2.93422105.524122783.1675064598-884385655.1669721726)! Veljko Tresacevic beat everyone else in Round 22 as his team had a whopping Fantasy Challenge score of 201.35.

Veljko used the following lineup: Darius Thompson of Cazoo Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz, Billy Baron of EA7 Emporio Armani Milan, Kevin Punter (team captain) of Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade, Will Clyburn of Anadolu Efes Istanbul and Walter Tavares of Real Madrid, all as starters. Dzanan Musa also of Real was his sixth man.

The bench featured Paul Biligha of Milan, Ognjen Jaramaz of FC Bayern Munich, Uros Trifunovic of Partizan and Thomas Walkup of Olympiacos Piraeus. His coach was Zeljko Obradovic of Partizan.

The prize for finishing first in Round 22 is a free subscription to Euroleague TV for the 2023-24 season!

Ilias Tef. stays atop the EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge overall standings. Ilias leads everyone else with a score of 3,734.65 fantasy points.

Trades are now open for Round 23. Remember, three trades are allowed before each round until the end of the regular season, and you can also trade your head coach.

The first games in Round 23 are Valencia Basket vs. Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv, FC Barcelona vs. Bayern and Milan vs. Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade, scheduled on Thursday, February 2 at 20:30 CET, making that the next round's deadline for trades.

Try to improve your teams and challenge for more prizes at the EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge, powered by Ardu Prime!

EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge: Round 22 winner!

It is a double-round week in the Turkish Airlines Euroleague Regular Season, which means there is not much time to make important decisions inbetween Rounds 22 and 23. 

As always, it is important to find out which teams play back-to-back home games with a chance to rest a bit more. It is not the decisive factor in the [EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge powered by Ardu Prime](https://euroleaguefantasy.euroleaguebasketball.net/es/home?_ga=2.56730542.524122783.1675064598-884385655.1669721726), but it definitely helps, especially since only two teams, Olympiacos Piraeus and AS Monaco, won on the road in Round 22. FC Barcelona, EA7 Emporio Armani Milan and Valencia Basket play back-to-back home games on Tuesday and Thursday. Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul plays two on the road, but on Tuesday and Friday. Every game matters, and every small advantage is solid gold with just 12 regular season games remaining. 

My team, Gancedato, had another solid week. I signed Donatas Motiejunas of Monaco, one of the best players in Round 22. A couple of starters underperformed, but two of my backups players, Josep Puerto of Valencia and Rokas Jokubaitis of Barca, stepped up well. My coach was Sasa Obradovic of Monaco, whose team won by a good margin. All things considered, I had a score of 162.65 fantasy points and went up in the standings to rank 2,284th overall. Generally speaking, I am playing much better than a month ago, and managed to be solid for several weeks. It is now time to reach the Top 2,000 after Round 23. 

Three trades are allowed before each round, and you can trade your head coach, too. I am letting Coach Obradovic go and signing Ettore Messina of Milan instead. His team plays at home for the second time in 48 hours and Milan has been doing much better recently, with a deeper roster. I am trading Motejiunas because Monaco plays against Real Madrid and I don't want any center playing against Tavares. I am trading Augustine Rubit of FC Bayern Munich and Nando De Colo of LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne simply because they were the two starters that underperformed, and I am happy with my bench players right now. 

I am going all-in with Milan in Round 23 and buying [Brandon Davies](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/brandon-davies/007870/) at center. I need a top-class player to make him my team captain on Thursday, and he is my choice. I also bought [Darius Thompson](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/darius-thompson/011078/) of Cazoo Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz because he is seeing extended playing time since Pierria Henry was unavailable, and made the most out of it. Last but not least, I can afford a third potential starter, which will be [Dzanan Musa](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/dzanan-musa/006540/) of Real. Musa played well against Monazo without shooting the ball great that night. That is a good sign for a good performance in Round 23. 

You can take a look at my team here:

As you can see, my team features just three players taking the court on Thursday, with Davies as team captain, and seven  more on Friday, most of them potential starters. I have two players each from Real and Milan, so I will be hoping to see high-scoring games in those game in Round 23! If I had five trades, I would have used all of them, but I don't, so I had to be selective. 

Remember, the 2022-23 EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge powered by Ardu Prime features better prizes than ever, so get your game on now!

And don't forget to use #fantasychallenge on social media all season long. Good luck!

Fantasy Challenge: Milan gains my trust

When Zalgiris Kaunas pulled to within 2 points of Anadolu Efes Istanbul, 72-70, at Sinan Erdem Sports Hall on Tuesday evening, the home crowd's heartbeats must have been racing. Efes had let four fourth-quarter leads slip in recent weeks, including three times in its last four games, but this time, Will Clyburn ensured that his team got over the line.

Efes went on to win Wednesday night's game 80-70, but against Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv in Round 16, Valencia Basket in Round 18, FC Bayern Munich in Round 20 and Cazoo Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz in Round 21, the Turkish team had led heading into the final quarter of play. It lost all four of those games.

As a result of those defeats, Efes found itself with a 10-11 record and was in 11th place in the standings. Given the expectations that everyone had for Efes heading into this campaign, having become back-to-back champions and signed Clyburn in the offseason, it was starting to look like it might be a season to forget. After all, Efes has hopes of securing a three-peat, but before it can even dream of that, it needs to be in the playoffs.

That is why Wednesday's victory against Zalgiris was so important. By improving to 11-11 with the win, and jumping up to ninth in the standings in the process, Efes is now just one game back of Valencia in eighth, the final playoff spot. During his post-game interview, Efes head coach Ergin Ataman discussed why it was so crucial that his side won its first game in this double-round week.

"Now, it's very important for us \[that we won\], because of course our goal is to reach a better position in the standings," said Coach Ataman. "Still, we are out of the playoffs, but we will see \[what happens in the future\]. We found the victory against a very important team, and it's two victories \[for us\] against them. Maybe that will be important for us in the final standings."

Reigning-champs Efes seek to snap a two-game losing run and repair their title-credentials for another year, whilst Žalgiris are also in need of a response after a second-half collapse away at Panathinaikos.

Anadolu Efes Istanbul vs Žalgiris Kaunas - Round 22 - Highlights

But, it could have been a very different story if Clyburn wasn't on the floor. Zalgiris had gone on a 9-0 run to reduce Efes's advantage to 72-70 entering the last 1:24 of the game, yet Shane Larkin responded with a layup to create a bit of daylight, 74-70. Then, Clyburn came to the fore.

As Kevarrius Hayes looked to find Edgaras Ulanovas with 53.0 seconds remaining, Clyburn read the pass and made the steal. From there, he took the ball up the court before dunking on Hayes and causing the roof to come off Sinan Erdem Sports Hall, 76-70. Everything pointed towards the first-year Efes forward being the hero, but there was still 48.5 seconds left on the clock; Zalgiris still had time to turn the game around.

Unsurprisingly, Zalgiris looked to get a quick basket, but Ignas Brazdeikis's floater in the lane came back out off the rim. Brazdeikis and Arnas Butkevicius tried to get the rebound, but Clyburn jumped above everyone to pull the ball out of the sky. He then dribbled to his right, looked up the court and found an open Rodrigue Beaubois, who scored a reverse layup, 78-70.

The key plays of Anadolu Efes Istanbul forward Will Clyburn in the last minute of his team's 80-70 win against Zalgiris Kaunas.

Will Clyburn's key plays in the last minute vs. Zalgiris

There were 35 seconds left, but Efes now had an 8-point advantage. Nevertheless, as Brazdeikis drove towards the rim with 26.2 on the clock, Clyburn put his body on the line to alter the Zalgiris guard's shooting motion, which allowed Bryant Dunston to record his third block of the night. The loose ball fell into the hands of Larkin, who found Beaubois for another layup, this time in the open floor.

That basket was the icing on the cake for Efes, who won 80-70, but the victory wouldn’t have been possible without the play of Clyburn, who finished the night with 19 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists and 1 steal. Efes will now look to follow up this triumph with another win, this time on the road against the co-leader in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague standings, Olympiacos Piraeus, on Friday evening (20:00 CET).

Game Videos

Game News

Efes avoided another fourth-quarter collapse thanks to Will Clyburn

Anadolu Efes Istanbul v Zalgiris Kaunas (2023-02-01T17:30:00.000Z)

Winning in El Clásico against FC Barcelona means everything for Real Madrid and its supporters, but given how tight things are at the top of the standings in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague, it was important that *Los Blancos* didn’t follow that up with a defeat to Panathinaikos Athens.

On Tuesday night, Barca beat Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv 83-78 at Palau Blaugrana to improve to 14-8, meaning that a loss for Real against Panathinaikos would see it have the same record. However, Chus Mateo's team used the positive momentum it had from its 91-86 overtime win in El Clásico to open a 15-2 lead over Panathinaikos at the midway point of the first quarter. When the final buzzer sounded, Real had won 83-68 to once again join Olympiacos Piraeus at the top of the standings.

One of the key players in Real's electric start was forward Guerschon Yabusele, as he scored 8 of *Los Blancos*' 15 points during its 15-2 start, while he had also grabbed 3 rebounds in that time. Yabusele had to sit the final few minutes of the quarter on the bench after picking up his second foul, but points from Dzanan Musa, Mario Hezonja, Gabriel Deck and Sergio Rodriguez ensured that Real closed the first 10 minutes 12 points ahead, 26-14.

Real Madrid's made shots during its 15-2 start against Panathinaikos Athens.

Real Madrid's 15-2 start vs. Panathinaikos

Rather than rest on its laurels, the feel-good factor around Real continued in the second quarter of play. After restoring its 12-point advantage halfway through the second quarter, with Panathinaikos having cut the deficit to 9, Rudy Fernandez scored 5 points in a hurry to make it a 17-point game, 42-25. Then, as the first half drew towards a close, Musa made both of his free throws to set a game-high lead of 21 points, 48-27.

Panathinaikos tried its best to mount a famous comeback in the second half, yet Real extended its advantage to 21 points again, 60-39, midway through the third quarter. The Greens continued to fight in the remainder of the game, but it was unable put sufficient pressure on *Los Blancos*, who saw out the final period with relative ease en route to an 83-68 triumph.

Real Madrid - Panathinaikos Athens | Round 22 | Highlights

Speaking afterward, Yabusele recognized that Wednesday night's contest had the potential to be a banana skin game, but he was happy that Real rose to the task: "I had a good start. My teammates got me going and the energy \[we showed\] just won it. It was a great game. We were focused from the first minute. We knew that it was a tough game and we needed to set the tone from the beginning. We did it tonight, and the most important thing is the win."

On Friday night, Real has another test, this time against AS Monaco, who is tied with Barca for the second-best record in the league (14-8). Monaco grabbed a memorable 94-95 overtime win over Real at WiZink Center back in Round 12, and another victory for the French team would see it match *Los Blancos*' record. However, if Real is able to once again continue its positive momentum into the start of Friday's game at Salle Gaston Medecin, it may end up finishing yet another round at the top of the standings.

Real Madrid carried momentum from El Clásico into Panathinaikos game 

Real Madrid v Panathinaikos Athens (2023-02-01T19:45:00.000Z)

AS Monaco players talked about the team’s 84-102 victory at ALBA Berlin as a confidence builder and head coach Sasa Obradovic said his team is really starting to play at a high level.

"This was good. It gives us confidence for the next games that we have. We did a great job overall as a team - defensively and offensively. We have to keep building on that," said guard Elie Okobo.

And center Donatas Motiejunas added: "It was a good defensive performance to stop the things they wanted to do. It was an important win to get our confidence and move forward."

Obradovic really was happy with his defensive performance against ALBA - especially forcing 20 turnovers. And the Monaco playcaller knows if his troops can play lockdown defense, Monaco could be a serious threat when you consider its offense.

"We struggled without Jordan Loyd," Obradovic said of the guard, who played just one game between Rounds 12 and 20 and the team went 3-4 in those games. Loyd came back and scored 11 points in Round 21 and had 12 points versus ALBA.

"Now we have an additional quality player and it’s not easy with our talented guards and the physicality of our centers to defend us," the coach said.

Monaco came into the ALBA game averaging 15.3 assists per game - ranked 12th in the league. But Motiejunas scored 22 points to pace six players in double figures as the team dished out 22 assists.

"No matter what kind of defense, it is really hard to stop us. We have good shooters, we have ball rotation. The chemistry is there," Obradovic said. "I think we started to play really good. From now on, we know the expectations. Everybody sees us. We’re looking forward to the rest of the games, starting with Real Madrid."

Monaco finding its stride with unstoppable offense 

ALBA Berlin v AS Monaco (2023-02-01T19:00:00.000Z)

[Will Clyburn](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/will-clyburn/004888/) starred for Anadolu Efes Istanbul in an 80-70 victory over Zalgiris Kaunas on Wednesday night, which has seen him earn MVP of the Round honors for the fourth time in his career. Clyburn tallied 19 points, making 5-of-9 two-pointers, 2-of-4 three-pointers and all 3 of his free throws, along with 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steals and 5 drawn fouls. He not only led all players this round in performance index rating with 27, but he was also involved in some key plays during the final minute as he helped seal Efes's win.

Will Clyburn starred for Anadolu Efes Istanbul in an 80-70 victory over Zalgiris Kaunas on Wednesday night, which has seen him earn MVP of the Round honors for the fourth time in his career.

Will Clyburn | Round 22 MVP | 2022-23 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

[Cassius Winston](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/cassius-winston/011940/) of FC Bayern Munich had the next highest PIR, 26, in a loss against Valencia Basket. Winston amassed 22 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals. AS Monaco center [Donatas Motiejunas](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/donatas-motiejunas/lcz/) had a PIR of 25 in his team's win over ALBA Berlin. Motiejunas posted 22 points, making 11-of-12 shots from the field, along with 3 rebounds and 1 assist. Rounding out top five performers in Round 13 are [Kevin Punter](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/kevin-punter/009862/) of Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade and [Rokas Giedraitis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/rokas-giedraitis/006436/) of Cazoo Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz, each of whom had a 24 PIR. Punter paired 22 points with 4 rebounds and 2 assists in a win over LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne, while Giedraitis posted 18 points, 6 rebounds and 2 assists in a loss against EA7 Emporio Armani Milan.

News

Round 22 MVP: Will Clyburn, Anadolu Efes Istanbul

Awards

Live Blog: Trio of Thursday games opens Round 23

Andrea Trinchieri to miss Bayern's game at Barcelona

Augustine Rubit, Bayern: 'The most competitive league in the world'

Round 23: Double-round roars to a finish

Olympiacos marks fourth straight sellout for Efes visit

Individual highs: Sasha Vezenkov, Olympiacos, 12 rebounds

Stats

EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge: Round 22 winner!

Fantasy Challenge: Milan gains my trust

Efes avoided another fourth-quarter collapse thanks to Will Clyburn

Real Madrid carried momentum from El Clásico into Panathinaikos game

Monaco finding its stride with unstoppable offense