Valencia Basket, struggling after losing three of its previous four games, appeared headed for another setback when Maccabi Rapyd Tel Aviv built a 35–47 lead late in the first half. Questions surrounding Valencia’s fading pace and dwindling momentum grew louder as Maccabi dictated the early tempo. However, the home side steadily regained control, showcasing resilience and renewed energy. A dominant fourth quarter (28–15) flipped the narrative entirely, and Valencia closed the night looking stronger than ever, securing a 94–83 victory and dispelling concerns about running out of steam.

Valencia turned to inside game as Sako soared to down Maccabi

For a long time, it looked as though Valencia Basket’s midseason stumble was set to continue against Maccabi Rapyd Tel Aviv at Roig Arena on Thursday night.

The Spanish team’s hugely promising season had been threatening to turn into a disappointing anticlimax, with Pedro Martinez’s men losing three of their last four games heading into this week’s encounter.

Was the team’s famously fast-paced style starting to take its toll? Had the recent loss of momentum shown that Valencia was running out of steam, and that the final weeks of the season would see a gradual slide down the standings?

When Maccabi came out with real intent to outrun, outrebound and outshoot Valencia and take a double-digit lead, 35-47, towards the end of the first half, those doubts were only intensifying.

But the question marks did not exist in the minds of the home team players, who grew stronger and stronger as the game went on. The fourth quarter was particularly decisive, 28-15, and by the final buzzer, it was clear that Maccabi had nothing left to give… whereas Valencia – mocking the theory that its energy reserves were running low – looked like it could continue playing all night as the final buzzer confirmed a 94-83 victory.

Crucially, that second-half upturn came courtesy of a dramatic shift in strategy. Valencia only attempted 11 two-point attempts in the first half compared to 21 three-point shots – nothing particularly surprising for the team that takes on more three-point shots than any other in the league.

But that script was totally flipped around after the break, as the host finished the game with 33 shots from inside the arc against 32 long-range efforts – a 22 to 11 split in the third and fourth quarters.

And it was a very profitable change in approach as Valencia converted a highly impressive 24 of those 33 two-pointers (72.7%), with the fourth quarter proving particularly fruitful. During those final 10 minutes, Valencia netted 7 two-point shots on 9 attempts, the key factor to surge into a lead that Maccabi could not challenge as its own offense ran out of energy.

<center>
<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DUHEA_0DDCN/?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/reel/DUHEA_0DDCN/?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/reel/DUHEA_0DDCN/?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 Valencia Basket (@valenciabasket)</a></p></div></blockquote>
<script async src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>

Neal Sako scored three of those baskets in the space of less than 4 minutes, and the French big man finished the game with 12 points and 8 rebounds, along with 2 assists and 1 blocked shot for a game-high PIR of 24. Crucially, he also spent more than 20 minutes on the floor – his highest total since Round 2 – to help compensate for the absence of injured big man Matt Costello.

Victorious coach Martinez hailed the physical improvement shown by his players, noting: “We improved our rebounding in the second half, our defense in the second half was much better, and we found our bigs better.”

And shooter Kam Taylor – who contributed 17 points – agreed as he said: “I think the key was that we didn’t doubt ourselves. Sometimes we get a little shaky and second-guess ourselves, but it the last minutes, especially with Neal Sako, we just went to the basket and didn’t doubt ourselves.

“I’m glad to get another win. The EuroLeague is getting tougher and tougher as the season goes on, and it’s just good to get a win each game.”

More than strategy, however, Martinez believed that the physical and mental effort exerted by his players was the key. “The most important thing is the mental situation, to understand that these kinds of games are very physical but you need to be concentrated for 40 minutes,” the Valencia play-caller said.

“In the bad moments, we don’t have to lose our heads, and play together.”

The host’s ability to keep pushing throughout the game was also highlighted by defeated coach Oded Kattash, who admitted there were no excuses after seeing his team score just 33 second-half points.

“They kept with the same tempo, like they always do,” he said. “We knew that in the second half, it was not going to be easy. You have to be concentrated for 40 minutes against Valencia, but we were short on that.”

Valencia, in contrast, was short of nothing in the second half – certainly not energy, and the Spanish team’s spirited comeback will have silenced a few doubters about its prospects for the rest of the season.

Game News

The Spanish team overturned a double-digit deficit to take a crucial victory

Valencia Basket v Maccabi Rapyd Tel Aviv (2026-01-29T19:45:00.000Z)

A whirlwind of a game in front of a sold‑out crowd between two EuroLeague title contenders was decided by a player in just his third appearance for Olympiacos Piraeus. Tyrique Jones provided the initial jolt on both ends of the floor when it mattered most, fueling a fourth‑quarter surge that carried his team to an 87–75 victory over FC Barcelona.

Tyrique Jones brought the energy on both ends as Olympiacos beat Barcelona

A whirlwind of a game in front of a sold‑out crowd between two EuroLeague title contenders was decided by a player in just his third appearance for Olympiacos Piraeus. Tyrique Jones provided the initial jolt on both ends of the floor when it mattered most, fueling a fourth‑quarter surge that carried his team to an 87–75 victory over FC Barcelona.

The hosts came out flying, with a red‑hot Sasha Vezenkov pouring in 12 points as Olympiacos built a 27–13 lead after the opening quarter. A Shaquielle McKissic transition dunk pushed the margin to 42–26, but it also triggered a response from Barcelona, which cut the gap to 46–37 by limiting Olympiacos to just 4 points over the final 3 minutes of the first half.

What followed was a defensive showcase by both sides in the final two quarters, with the Reds ultimately coming out on top.

Will Clyburn added 8 points to his tally, with Kevin Punter netting 9 of his own in the third quarter, as Barcelona held the hosts to 13 points for a 59-64 advantage heading into the closing quarter.

When everything indicated that the momentum had shifted in Barcelona’s favor, Olympiacos fought back with Jones leading the charge as his team tightened up its defense and found its groove on the other end.

The hosts outscored Barcelona 28-11, with Jones registering 10 points, 5 rebounds, 2 steals, a block and an assist in the fourth quarter. Bringing the energy off the bench, the 28-year-old center slammed home dunk after dunk on offense and hustled in every possession on the other end, bringing their fans to their feet, with his name becoming a chant on their lips.

Pulling off a complete outing, he finished the game on 16 points, 8 rebounds, 3 steals, 3 blocks and 2 assists.

“I’m just trying to come here and be myself,” he told EuroLeague TV after the game. “That’s why they brought me here, so I can be myself. Bring the energy and just play winning basketball. I’m just staying ready for when my number is called. My number was called and I was able to come out there and be myself. Right energy, both offensively and defensively. Chase the game and just continue to get stops.”

<center>
<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/DUHCVRjDpfh/?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/DUHCVRjDpfh/?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/DUHCVRjDpfh/?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 Olympiacos B.C. (@olympiacosbc)</a></p></div></blockquote>
<script async src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>

Tyson Ward, who ended the duel on 8 points, 5 rebounds and a team-high 5 assists, said at halftime that Olympiacos needed to “weather the storm”, which he predicted was coming in the second half and his team did just that, turning the tide thanks to a 15-2 run in the fourth.

The Reds scored 21 points off Barcelona’s 20 turnovers and 17 off their 15 offensive rebounds. They didn’t hesitate to run the floor, scoring 22 fastbreak points, and dictated the tempo when it mattered most by outrebounding Barcelona 16-8 in the fourth quarter.

“We were really good at rebounding,” Olympiacos head coach Georgios Bartzokas said in the post-game press conference. “We forced them to make a lot of turnovers. And we finally dominated in the fourth quarter through our defense. Everybody sacrificed himself for the team to win.”

Vezenkov stressed that “the team that is successful is the team where everybody accepts his role and is a star in his role.” A tough start to the season, with key players struggling to find their roles, has been followed by eight wins in Olympiacos’s nine games as the team appears to be clicking.

Despite narrowly missing out on the head-to-head advantage against Barcelona, Thursday’s win was a statement by Olympiacos, which aims to go all the way. To do so, they will need to approach every game as a battle and in Jones, they are sure to have the player who will bring that spark when needed.

 The 28-year-old center pulled off a complete display on Thursday night

Olympiacos Piraeus v FC Barcelona (2026-01-29T19:15:00.000Z)

FC Bayern Munich is making a push towards postseason contention thanks to a strong defensive effort, which shut down Hapoel IBI Tel Aviv’s offense and supplied a rare road victory, 64-79, in Israel

Bayern shuts down Hapoel offense for fifth win in seven games 

FC Bayern Munich is making a push towards postseason contention thanks to a strong defensive effort, which shut down Hapoel IBI Tel Aviv’s offense and supplied a rare road victory.

Bayern gave up only 38 points in the final three quarters of a strong 64-79 win in Israel to improve to 10-15, including 2-10 on the road.

"We knew how talented they were. We came here with a shorter rotation and ready to compete. It’s a big win for us,” said Bayern’s captain Vladimir Lucic, who tallied 11 points and 6 rebounds.

Isiaha Mike paced Bayern with 16 points, while Andreas Obst had 13 points and Neno Dimitrijevic chipped in 11 points.

“We just focused on the defense, the rebounds and taking care of the ball. Shots were falling today. We had really, really good defense. I have to credit the team for the defense today,” said Mike.

The 64 points were 23.4 fewer than Hapoel’s average of 87.4 points coming into the game and Bayern held the league’s second-best two-point shooting offense (59.1%) to 54.1% and the fifth-best long-range shooters (37.2%) to just 16.7%.

 “To win here, we must play perfect and find the balance between defense and offense. The defense which we demonstrated tonight gave us additional confidence on offense. We are a team who if we play defense - with aggressive denial and good pick-and-roll defense - then we can find solutions for offense,” said Bayern’s head coach Svetislav Pesic.

The veteran playcaller’s first game back at the helm with Bayern was against Hapoel at home in Round 18, when it lost 72-82. But the German champion has responded to Pesic with five wins in the last seven games.

“We have been in the gym a lot, working out and having meetings about where we are making mistakes and finding some things,” Lucic said about the changes that have taken place since Pesic was hired. “We grouped together and decided to fight and be aggressive.”

Pesic said the turning point was the win over Maccabi Rapyd Tel Aviv in Round 19 to start the winning ways.

“That win gave us additional confidence and, of course, helped me. If you win some games then the players believe in the coach and the concepts of the coach. If you lose games, that is the problem,” he said. “We are in a good way but we will see.”

<center>
<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DUHD9HOjGj0/?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/reel/DUHD9HOjGj0/?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/reel/DUHD9HOjGj0/?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 FC Bayern Basketball (@fcbayernbasketball)</a></p></div></blockquote>
<script async src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>

Hapoel allowed the first points of the game but led the rest of the first quarter, being up by 6 points four times before the opening stanza ended with the hosts up 26-23. Dan Oturu tallied all 10 of his points in the first quarter.

Bayern conceded only one basket in the first 7 minutes of the second quarter and pulled ahead 28-30. Hapoel responded with the next 9 points for its biggest lead at 37-30, only to have Bayern score the final 11 points of the first half for a 39-43 advantage at the break.

Bayern’s defense shined in the third quarter, keeping the hosts scoreless for more than 6 minutes in a 0-12 run to lead 41-55. The cushion swelled to 15 points at 44-59 and Bayern went into the final frame up 50-61.

Justinian Jessup netted 6 points in a 2-10 surge that gave Bayern a 54-73 lead with only 5 minutes to play and Hapoel’s will was beaten.

The defeat dropped Hapoel to 16-8 with back-to-back losses and falling to second place, handing over the top spot to Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul. Vasilije Micic led the hosts with 13 points and 5 assists.

Head coach Dimitris Itoudis talked after the game that his team is still unified despite its recent struggles.

“I have been called here to create a team that can win. And evidently the team is in the target that we have set from the summer. We have this bad period, but we are not divided. There is no division in the team as some of them think or they want to be. There is no division, there is one team. Those are the things that we are addressing among us and we will continue to fight for what our purpose is,” the coach said.

FC Bayern Munich won just its second road game of the season 

Hapoel IBI Tel Aviv v FC Bayern Munich (2026-01-29T19:05:00.000Z)

Baldwin, Horton-Tucker and De Colo all stood out against Efes 


Fenerbahce guards dominate Turkish derby 

It was one of the most one-sided Turkish Derbies in EuroLeague history as Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul dominated from start to finish to beat Anadolu Efes Istanbul 79-62 at home. 

Efes came to the game without four of its main guards, [Shane Larkin](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/shane-larkin/007200/), [Rodrigue Beaubois](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/rodrigue-beaubois/006590/), [Jordan Loyd](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/jordan-loyd/009754/) and [Isaia Cordinier](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/isaia-cordinier/009549/). Fenerbahce head coach [Sarunas Jasikevicius](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/fenerbahce-beko-istanbul/ulk/jasikevicius-saras) made sure that running his offense through his guards was a main part of his team's game plan.

The game was balanced in the opening 6 minutes, in which both teams struggled to focus offensively. [Talen Horton-Tucker](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/talen-horton-tucker/014124/) thrived in this initial chaos, getting 5 quick points to give Fenerbahce a 9-5 lead before heading to the bench.

When [Wade Baldwin](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/wade-baldwin-iv/009863/) and [Nando De Colo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/nando-de-colo/002100/) stepped on the court, they gave Fenerbahce the discipline and ball circulation required to make the difference. They joined forces with [Tarik Biberovic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/tarik-biberovic/006961/) in a 12-0 run that saw the hosts to take off. At the end of the first quarter, Fenerbahce led 25-8. Efes kept struggling on offense, with 6 first-quarter turnovers and missing its 6 shots from beyond the arc.

Baldwin kept pacing Fenerbahce without the need of flashy individual actions, other than a circus shot late in the first half. At the break, Baldwin had 8 points, 6 assists and 0 turnovers. Efes improved in the second quarter and once [Cole Swider](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/cole-swider/014025/) buried a couple of three-pointers, the visitors got a bit closer, 39-25.

"I thought for a moment we were very good. I thought immediately when we came in with two ball handlers, we were excellent, and then we got the lead early and we started messing around a little bit too much," Coach Jasikevicius said after the game. "Immediately, Efes gets back into the game. And it was kind of this. So I thought we were inconsistent. I thought, like I said, both teams are going a little bit through the rough stretch. So we take the win and should be happy."

Horton-Tucker simply dominated in the second half, scoring 17 of his 22 points after the break. He had 10 in the first 4 minutes of the third quarter to singlehandedly break the game open, 52-30. Just like in the first half, Coach Jasikevicius put Baldwin and De Colo together on court and his team took full control of the game.

"We have got to keep fighting. Nobody is going to feel sorry for us if we are injured or banged up. So we have got to continue to come out and fight, just put our best foot forward and try to just play with effort every night," Horton-Tucker said after the game. 

"Nando and [Nico Melli](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/nicolo-melli/002849/), they are my vets here, so just being able to follow and stay up under them and watch what they do and do what they do in practice. I'm happy to see that it's kind of like paying off in the game. Nico's going to talk trash to me, too, so I just want to kind of shut up him up a little bit."

<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The Mozart of passing. <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/M5usWiyjeC">pic.twitter.com/M5usWiyjeC</a></p>&mdash; Fenerbahçe Beko (@FBBasketbol) <a href="https://twitter.com/FBBasketbol/status/2016953283214975397?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 29, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></center>

Fener kept excelling on defense, limiting Efes to 39 points in the first three quarters. It was its lowest score after 30 minutes since December 2017, in a 58-61 home loss against Olympiacos Piraeus.

Baldwin finished the game without any turnovers for the first time this season. He sent out 9 assists and posted a PIR of 17. De Colo had 12 points and Biberovic added 10. [Saben Lee](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/saben-lee/013389/) led Efes with 19 points - 17 of them in the fourth quarter.

"It's been a great month to finish it off in the Turkish Derby is phenomenal. We had a great crowd today, guys kind of digging in and find a way to win this game. It was a pretty easy one for us tonight. We'll see what happens in this double week next week," Baldwin said. 

"We talked about before the game, just our span throughout the course of the last 10-13 games. We were getting a lot more scoring, but our team is producing a lot more turnovers. So cutting down on those was obviously a key for us moving forward and especially for this game. And I was able to execute a 9-assist, 0-turnover game."

Fenerbahce finished January with a 5-1 record and plays its next three games on the road, against FC Barcelona, Paris Basketball and Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens. Efes has a chance to avoid an unprecedented 10th consecutive loss in the EuroLeague when it hosts Valencia Basket on Tuesday, February 6.

Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul v Anadolu Efes Istanbul (2026-01-29T17:45:00.000Z)

Valencia Basket will be without Matt Costello for the coming games, as the forward is currently dealing with knee discomfort.

Matt Costello sidelined with knee discomfort

[Valencia Basket](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/valencia-basket/pam/) will be without [Matt Costello](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/matthew-costello/010444/) for the coming games, as the forward is currently dealing with knee discomfort.

Costello, averaging 7.4 points and 4.3 rebounds in 23 EuroLeague games this season, has played an important role in helping Valencia go 15-9 through the first 24 rounds of the campaign.

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="ca" dir="ltr">🏥<br><br>Cas 👉 Parte médico <a href="https://twitter.com/MattCostello10?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MattCostello10</a><a href="https://t.co/kAglJzA5XG">https://t.co/kAglJzA5XG</a><br><br>Val 👉 Comunicat mèdic Matt Costello<a href="https://t.co/kEAr4gDK9V">https://t.co/kEAr4gDK9V</a><br><br>Eng 👉 Medical report: Matt Costello<a href="https://t.co/9nEw6mXEcz">https://t.co/9nEw6mXEcz</a> <a href="https://t.co/XQMddjr2Em">pic.twitter.com/XQMddjr2Em</a></p>&mdash; Valencia Basket Club (@valenciabasket) <a href="https://twitter.com/valenciabasket/status/2016859116199645651?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 29, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

"Valencia Basket player Matt Costello will be out for our men's first team's upcoming games due to discomfort in his left knee," the club confirmed in a statement Thursday.

"His progress will determine when he returns to training with the rest of his teammates."

More Valencia News

He has appeared in 23 of Valencia's 24 EuroLeague games so far this season

The 2025–26 EuroLeague regular season is entering its final phase, and the MVP race is becoming clearer as standout performers continue to make their case. Eurohoops presents Volume 3 of the Eurohoops MVP Ladder for the 2025–26 EuroLeague season.

EuroLeague 2025–26 MVP Ladder by Eurohoops – Vol. 3

The 2025–26 EuroLeague regular season is entering its final phase, and the MVP race is becoming clearer as standout performers continue to make their case. Looking back at Volume 1, published after the first five rounds, two players remain in the current Top 5. Over the next eight rounds, new names entered the conversation in Volume 2.

Now, with around 14 rounds still to play (plus several postponed games), one new face has emerged since the previous edition. Certain players are consolidating their positions at the top, though others remain capable of throwing their names into the race in the final stretch.

Eurohoops presents Volume 3 of the Eurohoops MVP Ladder for the 2025–26 EuroLeague season.

Read more [HERE](https://www.eurohoops.net/en/trademarks/1925487/euroleague-2025-26-mvp-ladder-by-eurohoops-vol-3).

Almost two-thirds of the regular season have passed, and the MVP race is heating up with some shifts in the Top 5

Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot discusses his evolution as a player in a feature interview with Euroleague.net's Javier Gancedo.

A conversation with Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot: When the game finally slows down

[Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/timothe-luwawu-cabarrot/012080/) doesn’t look like he’s in a hurry anymore.

That’s the first thing that stands out. Not the scoring jump, not the percentages, not even his place near the top of the EuroLeague scoring charts. It’s the way he moves through possessions now – measured, controlled, unbothered by what comes next. The game unfolds at his pace.

A year ago, Luwawu-Cabarrot reached the 16-point mark just four times in 26 EuroLeague games with [Kosner Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/teams/baskonia-vitoria-gasteiz/bas/). This season, under first-year head coach Paolo Galbiati, he has done so in 20 of his first 23 appearances. The production has been steady, and the efficiency has come with it.

Luwawu-Cabarrot is fourth in the EuroLeague scoring race at 19.0 points per game, hurt by a poor game last Friday at Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul. Still, just three players are ahead of him: Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens's Kendrick Nunn (19.4 PPG), Olympiacos Piraeus's Sasha Vezenkov (19.4 PPG) and Paris Basketball’s Nadir Hifi (19.3 PPG). The leap from last season is dramatic.

The top plays of Kosner Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz star Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot through the first 24 rounds of the 2025-26 EuroLeague season.

Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot's best plays this season

In 2024-25, he averaged 10.0 points per game, shooting 43.4% on two-pointers and 33.7% from three, with a PIR of 7.3. This year, he has nearly doubled his output while lifting his efficiency to 56.6% inside the arc and 42.1% from deep, producing a PIR of 16.0.

Statistics explain part of the jump. The rest, Luwawu-Cabarrot says, comes from understanding when to push – and when to wait.

"First, the system is different. This is a system that fits me better," he told [Euroleague.net](http://Euroleague.net). "I think also the consistency is coming from me being in the age of maturity. I think my calmness on the court is showing. I have no rush and let the game come to me, but I'm aggressive at the same time. Before, maybe I was rushing. Maybe I was trying to be too much. Now, with this system, I can just be myself playing the three (position). My teammates trust me, my coach trusts me.

"I think the fact that it's my second year with Baskonia helps a lot, too. I know my teammates and all players a little bit longer. I think it helps me feel more comfortable and have more confidence in myself."

That confidence shows most clearly in his shot profile. Luwawu-Cabarrot is taking more shots – especially from beyond the arc – and the extra volume has sharpened his decision-making rather than blunting it. He’s finding his spots on the wings, mixing in mid-range pull-ups, and using his size to finish through contact.

"The volume this year has been so much higher than last year. Last year, I could spend one full game without taking a three. This year, I don't know if I have one game without taking five. It's been a great year because the system is so much better for me. I can shoot more threes, which I'm good at. I can be aggressive going to the basket. When it's needed, I get to the mid-range area that I like a lot, too. I think it's also the volume that helps."

<center>
<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/DHd4pGGINsT/?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/DHd4pGGINsT/?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/DHd4pGGINsT/?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 Timothé Cabarrot (@7tlc)</a></p></div></blockquote>
<script async src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>

So far, he has attempted fewer than five three-pointers in just three games all season.

That trust runs both ways. Galbiati, despite never having played professionally, has earned buy-in through clarity and conviction – even when results didn’t come right away. Baskonia opened the EuroLeague season 0-7, the worst start in club history. Since then, the team has climbed to an 8-16 record and begun to resemble a team with an identity.

"He's a player’s coach. He listens to what we have to say and has his vision. At the beginning, of course, it was an adjustment. We started 0-7, then we started winning. It took the whole team to click at the same time for us to understand what we had to do on the court to win. But he had this vision since day one. He never faded away from this vision. We just all understood what it took to get to this point and to reach his goals and our goals as a team. We still have a lot of work to do, but this coach has been great.

"He's communicative. We watch a lot of videos. He has a lot of passion. He loves the game as much as we all do, even though he never played. And he's passionate. He watches games every day. He's talking about basketball 24 hours, seven days a week. I don't think he is taking any days off and it shows. We all respect that a lot. When you play basketball as a professional and you have a coach that never coached you, it's always like, 'OK, how is it going to be?' But the passion he brings and the way he sees basketball, we have to respect it. That's why it's been successful for us."

Baskonia head coach Paolo Galbiati and forward Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot in discussion during a EuroLeague game this season.

Some of Luwawu-Cabarrot’s deepest connections, though, go back long before Baskonia. Few matchups mean more to him than facing Anadolu Efes Istanbul guard [Isaia Cordinier](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/isaia-cordinier/009549/). The two grew up together in Antibes, were drafted in the same year in 2016, and have remained inseparable ever since – each serving as a witness at the other’s wedding.

"Man, it's been a journey. We got drafted together in 2016. This was one of the best days of my life, and probably his too. Just the fact to see him over there in Brooklyn, and being drafted the same year, knowing where we started, competing in Antibes against each other and playing together in the high competition in France. It's just crazy accomplishments. For him to be at this level right now, with all the problems he had injury-wise, is insane.

"I respect that so much. He's been so resilient throughout his career. When he got drafted, he went back to Antibes. I think he stayed there for three years. He didn't play for two years because he had problems with his knees. No one is coming back from a two-year hiatus of not playing basketball. It's super hard. The fact that he's here right now, playing in the EuroLeague, being one of the best players, and also reaching the silver medal with the national team in 2024 in Paris... all these accomplishments are so great."

<center>
<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/BGzu4ZIkGxY/?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/BGzu4ZIkGxY/?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/BGzu4ZIkGxY/?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 Timothé Cabarrot (@7tlc)</a></p></div></blockquote>
<script async src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>

A couple of weeks ago, a favorable schedule allowed Luwawu-Cabarrot to watch Cordinier live – this time from the stands.

"For us to be a part of his journey and our journey together is just amazing. Every time we play against each other, it's a special day. Tomorrow he's playing against Olympiacos at home. I will go to the game and be a fan, just watching him play."

During their Antibes years, Luwawu-Cabarrot also shared the floor with [Willie Solomon](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/willie-solomon/cos/), one of the first true EuroLeague stars he encountered as a teammate.

"When he came, he was older, but he was a game-changer. A point guard with this length, this wingspan, his ability to get to the basket, his ability to play defense, and also shoot threes, be clutch. He was a beast on the court. In clutch moments, he was the guy we were looking for.

"Me, as a kid, I was very, very impressed that he was doing this at this level at this age. But yeah, for sure, he was a great, great person to be around and a big superstar."

<center>
<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/sQIggBEGwI/?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/sQIggBEGwI/?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/sQIggBEGwI/?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 Timothé Cabarrot (@7tlc)</a></p></div></blockquote>
<script async src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>

The advice that resonates most now came later, and from an unexpected source. Not from an NBA star or a EuroLeague legend, but from LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne veteran [David Lighty](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/david-lighty/003526/).

"I would say David Lighty two years ago, he was great. Because these veterans, they don't talk too much, but when they give you advice, it's very precise and on the money. And he was telling me that I needed to be patient. And when the time is right, the game would slow down for me and I would be able to do anything I wanted to do on the court. And at that moment, I had no idea what he was talking about. Because I wanted to achieve everything I wanted to achieve at that moment, but I was not ready.

"It hit me this year. I thought back about that conversation we had, and it's right now. Like I said, I arrived at this age of maturity and now I can see what he was talking about when he said the game would slow down. Now I can see the spaces. Now I can see the way my defender is playing defense on me. The way the teams are playing defense on me. And all this, even though they have a full game plan against me, the game has slowed down. He was right when he told me that."

With his name near the top of the scoring charts, individual accolades are inevitable. But they’ve never been the priority.

“It’s definitely not a goal. It wasn’t a goal when I started the season. I just wanted to win games and play to the best of my ability. Now that I’m in the race, of course it’s something you’re aware of – but it’s not something I live and die for. If it happens, it happens, and it would be great. I would be very honored to lead the EuroLeague in scoring because it would mean a lot. But at the end of the day, it’s not the most important thing. I want to win games, especially in the second half of the season. And if that means averaging two or three fewer points, I’ll do it, because that’s what matters most.”

At this stage of his career, that perspective feels earned. The game has slowed down. The reads are clearer. And for Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot, everything is finally arriving on time.

More Baskonia News

The Frenchman is enjoying a career year with Baskonia

Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade added depth to its depleted backcourt by signing guard Aleksa Radanov, the club announced Wednesday night. 

Partizan adds backcourt depth with Aleksa Radanov

[Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/partizan-mozzart-bet-belgrade/par/) added depth to its depleted backcourt by signing guard [Aleksa Radanov](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/aleksa-radanov/005683/), the club announced Wednesday night. 

Radanov (2.01 meters, 28 years old) arrives from [FC Bayern Munich](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/teams/fc-bayern-munich/mun/), where he did not appear in any EuroLeague games.

Radanov was deregistered before the January 5 deadline, making him eligible to play for Partizan as soon as he is registered. He appeared in three German League games, all in a limited role.

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="und" dir="ltr">Aleksa Radanov je novo pojačanje Partizana Mozzart Bet!⚫️⚪️<br><br>🔗 <a href="https://t.co/dP5A1wJKz3">https://t.co/dP5A1wJKz3</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KKPartizan?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KKPartizan</a> <a href="https://t.co/ijcfjahhSE">pic.twitter.com/ijcfjahhSE</a></p>&mdash; KK Partizan Mozzart Bet (@PartizanBC) <a href="https://twitter.com/PartizanBC/status/2016592553659748389?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 28, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Radanov came through the youth system of Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade, where he made his professional debut in 2015. The following season he was loaned to FMP Zeleznik, and he switched between FMP and Zvezda for several seasons until the end of 2020-21 campaign, during which he time made 14 EuroLeague appearances.

The following season saw Radanov move to Igokea in Bosnia and Herzegovina before he went on to play for Peristeri in Greece, Runa Moscow in Russia, Mega Belgrade in Serbia and finally last season for Legia Warszaw in Poland. Radanov has also played for the Serbian national team over the years.

Partizan is dealing with multiple injuries in its backcourt. [Carlik Jones](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/carlik-jones/013369/) has been out since late October with a broken ankle, [Vanja Marinkovic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/vanja-marinkovic/004761/) ruptured his Achilles last week and is out for the season, as is likely the case with [Shake Milton](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/shake-milton/014007/) who broke his hand.

More Partizan News

The Serbian swingman spent the first part of this season with Bayern

Frenetic basketball is the norm at Paris Basketball. Defense, at times, has not been. On Tuesday night, in a 98-92 win over Real Madrid, that certainly wasn’t the case.

Reenergized Paris takes a big step forward, snaps Real Madrid’s winning streak

Frenetic basketball is the norm at [Paris Basketball](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/paris-basketball/prs/). Defense, at times, has not been. On Tuesday night, that certainly wasn’t the case.

In a 98-92 win over [Real Madrid](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/teams/real-madrid/mad/) – which entered this Round 25 matchup riding a six-game winning streak – Paris showed it can operate at a high level on both ends of the floor. The victory marked the team’s first home win of 2026 and snapped a three-game losing streak overall, which included a 14-point loss at Valencia Basket and a 20-point defeat at home against Dubai Basketball during last week’s double-round stretch.

For a team like Paris, offense comes naturally. Any time [Nadir Hifi](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/nadir-hifi/012640/) has the ball, opposing defenses tighten up. When [Justin Robinson](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/justin-robinson/014008/) is at the controls, a fastbreak is usually close behind, as evidenced by a pair of long, upcourt passes Tuesday night. But it has been on the defensive end where Paris has been exposed too often this season.

Paris Basketball-Real Madrid | Round 25 Highlights | 2025-26 EuroLeague

Allowing 92 points to Real Madrid doesn’t suggest a lockdown performance, but the aggression and physicality Paris displayed told a different story. Led by Robinson, [Amath M’Baye](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/amath-m-baye/007993/), [Momo Faye](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/mouhamed-faye/012403/) and [Yakuba Ouattara](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/yakuba-ouattara/004197/), among others, that defensive intensity could be the foundation of a late-season push – particularly when paired with the elite offensive production of Hifi, [Jared Rhoden](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/jared-rhoden/014178/) and Robinson.

“We’ve got a lot of energy, a lot of young guys who are willing to do the dirty work and play hard,” M’Baye told EuroLeague TV after scoring 16 points, his second-highest total of the season. “It just had to be channeled the right way, and I think today we did that. We were in a lot of games this year, especially late, but we couldn’t get over that hump. This time we did, and it gives us the blueprint to do it again.”

Just as important: Paris got the win over the line.

The home side led for all but nine seconds of the second half and from the midpoint of the first quarter onward. Still, when Real Madrid briefly grabbed an 89-90 lead with 1:41 remaining, anxiety rippled through the building. Hifi answered immediately with a three-point play to restore the advantage. Moments later, Faye recorded the fourth block of his career-high night by rejecting [Mario Hezonja](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/mario-hezonja/003108/) at the rim, and Rhoden followed by making it a two-possession game at 94-90. If there were any doubts about Paris’s resolve, they were answered in that sequence.

After a Round 20 road win at Anadolu Efes Istanbul – Paris’s only victory of the calendar year prior to Tuesday – coach Francesco Tabellini said his team had shown the resilience needed to put its fourth-quarter struggles in the rearview mirror. But Paris failed to build on that performance, dropping three straight. The aim now is to use this win over Real Madrid as a springboard.

“(Being more aggressive on defense) was the plan from the beginning of the season,” Tabellini said afterward. “I think the team lost a little confidence after a couple of very tough losses, and with that we lost some aggressiveness. We’re working hard to get back to that level.

“Tonight we were aggressive, we stayed composed and kept pushing, even when they went on an impressive run at the end. That’s the way. My players deserve a lot of credit – they did a very good job and earned this win and the reaction from the crowd.”

<center>
<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/DUB_vd4jDoc/?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/DUB_vd4jDoc/?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/DUB_vd4jDoc/?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 Paris Basketball 🏀 (@parisbasketball)</a></p></div></blockquote>
<script async src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>

M’Baye, a clear leader for this youthful, energetic roster, also credited the coaching staff for its willingness to adjust.

“It feels good (to win), especially because of how we did it,” he said. “We made the right adjustments and showed that we want to play together, on both ends. I’m really proud of everyone – the players and the staff – for being willing to make those changes and going out there and playing the way we did.”

Much of Paris’s season has been defined by promise without payoff, as it has been a team capable of causing problems but unable to close. Against a Real Madrid side of this stature, this was a timely and convincing response.

“We needed confidence at this moment of the season,” Hifi, who reached 1,000 career points in the EuroLeague Tuesday night, said. “We lost badly in Valencia and against Dubai, honestly. But beating one of the biggest teams in the EuroLeague shows that we’re capable. That’s good for our mental health.”

The challenge doesn’t ease up. After traveling to face FC Bayern Munich in Round 26, Paris will take on three of the top teams in the standings – Hapoel IBI Tel Aviv, Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul and FC Barcelona – while also facing 2024 champion Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens. Still, with Hifi leading the way, Paris will head into that stretch with renewed belief and a no-fear mindset.

Real Madrid, meanwhile, will look to regroup during the double round with trips to Panathinaikos and Dubai next week. Having dropped the first game of a four-game road swing, any further slip-ups could put *Los Blancos*’ hold on fourth place under serious pressure.

France’s capital club secured its first home win of 2026

Paris Basketball v Real Madrid (2026-01-27T20:00:00.000Z)