Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens bounced back from two straight losses by defeating Virtus Bologna, fueled by a dominant defensive display and Richaun Holmes’s 16-point, 9-rebound performance.

Panathinaikos Overpowers Virtus Bologna with Defensive Intensity

Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens snapped a two-game skid by defeating Virtus Bologna 84-71 on Thursday night in the Greek capital. Heading into the duel, the Greens were desperate to regain momentum after consecutive home losses, and Ergin Ataman’s side showed that the route to success begins on defense.

Locked in from the off, Panathinaikos held Virtus to just 15 points in the first quarter and 18 in the second, taking a 39-33 lead into the second half.

And then came a suffocating third period for the visitors. Panathinaikos raised its intensity even more, turning defense into offense with devastating buckets in transition that delivered blow after blow to the Italian side.

The third quarter saw the hosts record 4 steals and 3 blocks, with Panathinaikos scoring a total of 20 points off turnovers throughout the game.

When Virtus cut the difference to 39-37 in the opening stages of the second half, Richaun Holmes and Juancho Hernangomez stepped up to ignite the crowd.

A sequence of two straight possessions was enough to get the building buzzing, as Juancho rejected Carsen Edwards with authority before Kendrick Nunn hustled to keep the ball alive and found TJ Shorts, who lobbed it up for an alley-oop slam by an incoming Holmes.

A few seconds later, Cedi Osman got the steal on one end and Shorts ran full-speed to grab the ball on the other before setting up Nunn, who finished with the layup in transition. Virtus head coach Dusko Ivanovic called a timeout, but it was too late.

Hustle plays on both ends brought the fans into the equation, with Panathinaikos rediscovering its confidence to pull away in the fourth quarter.

“Tonight we showed great hustle,” Ataman told EuroLeague TV. “Defensively, we worked very well, and of course, the rebounds. Tonight, Holmes gave great contributions in all situations: defensively, rebounds, offensively on the roll.”

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In fact, the Panathinaikos center dominated the paint, finishing the game on 16 points after going 5-for-8 from inside the arc and 6-for-7 from the free-throw line. More importantly, he downed 9 boards, including 4 on the offensive end to provide his team with valuable extra possessions.

“\[Holmes\] was a big transfer for us at the beginning of the season, but unfortunately he stopped for two months because of a very important injury and now he came back to the team and he showed his potential,” Ataman said in the post-game press conference. “It’s very important for sure for the big goals we have for the season.”

Having drawn energy from his family, who attended the game and celebrated each of his plays, Holmes also registered 2 blocks and 1 steal in a complete outing.

“Every time I see \[my family\] in the crowd, it’s extra motivation,” he admitted after the game. “I want to just put on another show for them. I just love seeing them out there.”

His intensity was matched by Juancho, who picked up 8 rebounds to go with his 3 steals and 2 blocks as Panathinaikos managed as many as 10 steals and forced Virtus to 16 turnovers.

Having found their defensive footing with a solid display against Virtus, the Greens channeled their energy into offense. By outhustling one of the most compact teams in the competition, Ataman’s side have set the blueprint moving forward.

Game News

Energy and hustle fuel a second-half surge as Greens rediscover winning ways

Richaun Holmes shines as Greens bounce back against Virtus

Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens v Virtus Bologna (2026-01-08T19:15:00.000Z)

AS Monaco extended its winning streak to five games with a 101-92 victory over Valencia Basket, fueled by a dominant second quarter and key contributions from Mike James and Nemanja Nedovic.

Monaco Outguns Valencia in 101-92 Road Win 

High-octane, high-scoring excitement was pretty much guaranteed when Valencia Basket hosted AS Monaco at the Roig Arena on Thursday night.

After all, Valencia came into the game as the league co-leader, looking for a fourth straight victory, just one win ahead of a Monaco team that was already on its own four-game win streak. And the only team that had scored more points than Valencia’s average of 90.2 per night was, you guessed it, Monaco with 91.2.

So it was all set up to provide a memorable encounter, and the game did not disappoint – except for Valencia fans, who saw their team suffer just its second home defeat of the season as Monaco deservedly prevailed, 92-101.

The initial action unfolded in a blur, with a lightning-fast pace maintained by both teams. This is the way Valencia always plays, but Monaco was unafraid to keep pace with the hosts, and the 14-14 scoreline midway through the opening period was a fair reflection of the unrelenting tempo.

But that changed in the second quarter, when Monaco maintained more or less the same offensive pace, but married it with hard-working defense, which suffocated Valencia, holding the home players to just 14 second-quarter points while forcing them into 8 turnovers in less than 7 minutes.

That proved decisive, because the rest of the game reverted to the same kind of back-and-forth pattern as the opening minutes, with both teams enjoying brief bursts of momentum but on the whole baskets traded evenly.

Try as hard as they might, Valencia could not find the run required to seriously narrow the gap. And Monaco’s grip on the game was visibly evident after Mike James made his second three-pointer of the night, making it 58-72 just past the third quarter’s midway point. The previously boisterous Roig Arena crowd fell quiet; soon after Matt Costello was called for a technical foul after protesting a no-call. A palpable sense of frustration all around for the hosts, with Monaco getting under Valencia’s skin.

And although Valencia kept on fighting for that elusive route back into the game, Monaco always had the answer. Whether it was Nemanja Nedovic draining 11 points in less than 2 minutes to start the fourth quarter, Kevarrius Hayes patrolling the paint with power and precision, Alpha Diallo covering every inch of the court or James scoring and orchestrating in his usual dominant fashion, the visitors had enough contributions from throughout the roster to ensure its lead never dropped below 6 points throughout the second half.

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Moneydovic 💸🤩<br><br>👑 Nemanja Nedovic MVP 🆚️ Valence 🍊<br><br>🪣 16 points <br>🎯 4/5 <br>🍽 3 assists<br>👋 3 steals <br>📊 21 PIR<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RocaTeam?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RocaTeam</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EveryGameMatters?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EveryGameMatters</a> <a href="https://t.co/JQucinJXjd">pic.twitter.com/JQucinJXjd</a></p>&mdash; AS Monaco Basket 🇲🇨 (@ASMonaco_Basket) <a href="https://twitter.com/ASMonaco_Basket/status/2009384556600713545?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 8, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Coach Vassilis Spanoulis was rightly proud of that effort, telling EuroLeague TV after the game: “We played good basketball.

“We fought for every ball. The players understood where we are, what is the situation now in the second round \[of the regular season\], and they made an unbelievable effort. Everybody is ready to contribute to the team; I count on everybody. Everybody knows this and is ready to accept this role, and be the star of his role.”

This was the second consecutive impressive road win for Monaco in Spain, having also triumphed at FC Barcelona, 74-90, with an equally eye-catching performance on December 30. Bridging the old and new years by winning at a pair of opponents whose combined home record reads 16-5 (with two of those five wins taken by Monaco) is a pretty good way to demonstrate title credentials.

That precise point was made by Nedovic, who emphasised the significance of the victory as he told EuroLeague TV. “This was a statement win for us.

“Valencia was playing the best basketball in this part of the season, and we wanted to come in here and make a statement win. We did it, so I’m very happy. The good teams are making a run now, and that’s what we’re trying to do.”

A statement win it certainly was. And around the rest of the league, that message has surely been received, loud and clear.

The Roca Team became only the second visitor to win at Valencia’s Roig Arena this season

Monaco wins at Valencia to extends win streak to five 

Valencia Basket v AS Monaco (2026-01-08T19:30:00.000Z)

Real Madrid defeated Maccabi Rapyd Tel Aviv 98-86 in the Spanish capital on Thursday for its 17th consecutive home victory over the Israeli squad. Edy Tavares was at the heart of the home team's effort as he became the EuroLeague's all-time leading rebounder in the third quarter. He finished the game with 2,016 rebounds to his name. 

Edy Tavares becomes rebounding king in Real Madrid's win over Maccabi 

Real Madrid defeated Maccabi Rapyd Tel Aviv 98-86 in the Spanish capital on Thursday for its 17th consecutive home victory over the Israeli squad, whose last victory in Madrid came on March 11, 2010. Real struggled early in the game and found ways to gradually improve and cruise to a no-doubt-about-it victory.

[Walter Tavares](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/walter-tavares/005791/) was at the heart of the home team's effort as he became the EuroLeague's all-time leading rebounder in the third quarter. He finished the game with 2,016 rebounds to his name. 

Maccabi built a 33-41 lead midway through the second quarter, and this is when Real found answers from beyond the arc. [Facu Campazzo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/facundo-campazzo/005928/) buried the first one, then [Andres Feliz](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/andres-feliz/011247/) sank 3 consecutive three-pointers to tie it at 45-45. Right after [Roman Sorkin](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/roman-sorkin/011219/) rolled off a high-post pick to score around the basket, [Chuma Okeke](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/chuma-okeke/014006/) struck from downtown to give Real a 48-47 lead at halftime. *Los Blancos* made 1 of 6 three-pointers in the first quarter before downing 7 of the next 9 to take the lead.

Tavares had been limited to one field goal attempt and had not managed to prevent Maccabi from scoring in the paint. At halftime, the visitors had made 14 of 22 two-point shots (63.6% 2FG). Coach [Oded Kattash](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/maccabi-rapyd-tel-aviv/tel/kattash-oded) used different strategies against Tavares, mainly bringing him out of the paint by using small lineups. Real made adjustments after the break and the picture was very different in the second half.

Tavares finished the game with 11 rebounds to become the competition's rebounding king. He came into the game needing 6 rebounds to pass [Paulius Jankunas](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/es/euroleague/players/jankunas-paulius/bwi/) (2,010 boards). He was already the EuroLeague's all-time shot blocker, now at 512 and counting. A two-time champion, 2023 Final Four MVP, three-time EuroLeague Best Defender and six-time All-EuroLeague, Tavares added yet another milestone to his legendary career.

"I think if I wasn't be here for so long, 8-9 years, it would not be possible. I have seen how Felipe \[Reyes\] has been all these years getting rebounds! It is amazing to do this in only nine years," Tavares said about his record. "I will try to keep up and do my best until I retire."

<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="es" dir="ltr">🙌 ¡<a href="https://twitter.com/waltertavares22?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@waltertavares22</a> se convierte en el máximo reboteador histórico de la <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EuroLeague</a>! <br>🧲 2.016 rebotes <a href="https://t.co/jOCOU2IRB1">pic.twitter.com/jOCOU2IRB1</a></p>&mdash; Real Madrid Basket (@RMBaloncesto) <a href="https://twitter.com/RMBaloncesto/status/2009385497928298751?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 8, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></center>

Tavares did what he does best, too, contest shots both inside and outside the paint to make every Maccabi player doubt his chances to score. Maccabi was limited to just 4-of-18 two-point shooting after the break (22.2% 2FG), which explains the impact Tavares had in the game once he found his defensive flow. 

Real finished the game with a season-high 11 steals from 12 Maccabi 12 turnovers. The home team ended up making 14 of 29 three-pointers -including 13 of 23 attempts (56.5% 3FG) in the final 30 minutes. [Mario Hezonja](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/mario-hezonja/003108/) led five Real scorers in double figures with 16 points and spoke about how Real can get even better.

"It's January now, so obviously we know what we what we have to do. We needed to be very selective with our offense and cleaned it up a lot \[in the second half\]. It is a work in progress," Hezonja said after the game. "We had some very good games coming back in a third quarter We are used to it, but I think we need to focus more on the first and second quarter so this doesn't happen. If it happens, it's good, but it shouldn't happen."

Real plays its next three games at home, starting with *El Clasico* against FC Barcelona on Friday, January 16.

The 33-year-old center became the EuroLeague's all-time top rebounder 


Real Madrid v Maccabi Rapyd Tel Aviv (2026-01-08T19:45:00.000Z)


Dubai Basketball lit up Round 21 of the EuroLeague with a blistering 91-82 home win over the competition’s holder, Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul, as a number of key players stood out in a fascinating clash played in a cracking atmosphere on Thursday. 
Among the home team’s heroes, big man Kenan Kamenjas took center stage with an impressive double-double of 20 points and 15 boards

Kenan Kamenjas shines as Dubai stuns Fenerbahce

Dubai Basketball lit up Round 21 of the EuroLeague with a blistering 91-82 home win over the competition’s holder, Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul, as a number of key players stood out in a fascinating clash played in a cracking atmosphere on Thursday.

Among the home team’s heroes, big man Kenan Kamenjas took center stage with an impressive double-double of 20 points and 15 boards, which generated a career-high PIR of 34 after he came off the bench to rip through his opponents in the paint at both ends.

Guard McKinley Wright chipped in with a game-high 22 points and 4 assists, shooting 9-of-11 from inside as he dominated the backcourt, while Dwayne Bacon scored 10 of his 15 points in the first quarter. Mfiondu Kabengele racked up 14 points to go with 5 boards and Justin Anderson netted 11 points, including a spectacular alley-oop reverse slam, which had the home faithful in raptures.

The evening’s plaudits went to Kamenjas, though, as the 25-year-old Bosnian keeps going from strength to strength in his maiden EuroLeague campaign, having joined newcomers Dubai from Buducnost VOLI Podgorica during the offseason.

With Kabengele doing the early damage in the paint as Dubai jumped into the driving seat, Kamenjas picked up all the offense scraps close to the basket after coming off the bench and hurt the visitors with quiet yet lethal finishing while constituting a wall at the other end, as Dubai outrebounded Fenerbahce 42-21.

“Dubai were more physical and the rebounding stats show they were better than us today,” Fenerbahce head coach Sarunas Jasikevicius said. “The more aggressive team won and we tried to prepare the players for the fact that it was a must-win game for Dubai. We made a lot of bad fouls and gave them a lot of cheap points; we didn’t deserve to win,” he added.  

Smarting from a pair of successive defeats, including an 85-60 mauling at Hapoel IBI Tel Aviv in the previous round, Dubai’s players dug deep and fought as if their lives depended on the outcome.

Fenerbahce trailed by as many as 15 points and, having closed the gap to 73-69 early in the fourth, it looked like raw talent and the makings of a champion might prevail, but Dubai fended off the Turkish side’s fightback superbly.

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“A great victory for us against a very good team who are now probably in the best rhythm in the EuroLeague,” Kamenjas said after Dubai snapped Fenerbahce’s four-game winning streak. “I want to thank the fans for their amazing support. We did a good job from the first minute to the last as we stayed together as a team.”

The action on the court went hand in hand with a vocal battle on the terraces, where a large contingent of visiting Fenerbahce fans contributed to a fantastic atmosphere. The home faithful did all the singing and dancing after the final buzzer, though, giving Dubai a standing ovation. 

Home coach Jurica Golemac stressed consistency was the key as |Dubai kept its composure and intensity for the entire contest after being blown away 49-19 by Hapoel in the second half on Tuesday. 

“Congratulations to the players, they were extremely focused today,” the Slovenian tactician said. “We played smart and physical for the full 40 minutes, as 42 rebounds against Fenerbahce is an achievement showing that we played with a lot of desire tonight. We had issues at the start of the second half lately, but this time we managed to share the minutes and keep the same intensity.”

“We rose to the challenge as we didn’t look too good in the last two games. Congratulations to the fans too, as they competed with the Fenerbahce supporters in the stands just like we did on the court.”

Wright also gave Dubai value for money as he put in a highly efficient performance and ran the backcourt, his partnership with Kamenjas once again coming to the fore as both men joined Dubai from Buducnost during the summer. The guard made it clear in no uncertain terms what was at stake for Dubai, which remains well placed to contest a postseason spot.

“We had our backs against the wall after two straight losses, but we stayed together for 40 minutes tonight and took care of business on home court against a really good Fenerbahce team,” he said. “We stuck to the game plan and it’s a big win for us.”

The big man served up a career high PIR of 34 for the hosts as they trumped the champs 

Dubai Basketball v Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul (2026-01-08T16:00:00.000Z)

The first double-round week of 2026 concludes with a selection of direct matchups in the race for the playoffs. Here’s your guide to Thursday and Friday’s nine games, with Paris’s trip to Hapoel rescheduled for March 3.

At a glance: The playoff race continues to heat up in Round 21

The first double-round week of 2026 concludes with a selection of direct matchups in the race for the playoffs. Here’s your guide to Thursday and Friday’s nine games, with Paris’s trip to Hapoel rescheduled for March 3.

## Thursday, January 8

### Dubai Basketball vs. Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul (17:00 CET)

Reigning champ Fenerbahce (13-6) is targeting a perfect double-round week as it travels to home-court experts Dubai (9-11). The competition newcomer boasts an outstanding 7-2 record at home, but is coming off a rotten night at Hapoel when its offense never got started and only scored 60 points. Long-range shooting was a particular problem with only 4 triples converted, and Dwayne Bacon and Dairis Bertans will look to recover their usual accuracy after going for 1-of-7 combined. But Fenerbahce – which has nine wins out of 10 – is growing in confidence all the time, with offensive leader Wade Baldwin in fantastic form after pairing 17 points and 11 assists in Tuesday’s win over Olympiacos. Talen Horton-Tucker is also playing at a high level, averaging 19.0 points in the last six games.

### Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens vs. Virtus Bologna (20:15 CET)

After suffering consecutive home losses, Panathinaikos (12-10) needs a return to form with the visit of motivated Virtus (10-10). The Italian team climbed within one win of the top 10 by edging out Zalgiris earlier this week, and will look for more heroics from Derek Alston after he scored 20 points in two games straight. Carsen Edwards is ready to resume his scoring duel with Greens star Kendrick Nunn – the former came out on top when the teams last met in October, pouring in 22 points to power his team to a 92-75 victory. Panathinaikos needs to take better care of the basketball after committing 17 turnovers in Tuesday’s loss to Milan, and would be well served by following the model of consistency provided by veteran Kostas Sloukas (10 assists with 1 turnover last time out).

### Valencia Basket vs. AS Monaco (20:30 CET)

Two high-scoring high-fliers go head-to-head for a mouth-watering matchup as co-leader Valencia (14-6) welcomes Monaco (13-7). The visiting team has won four straight after comfortably downing Partizan earlier in the week, with its multi-faceted offense featuring six different double-digit scorers. Valencia is also on a hot three-game win streak after triumphing at Zvezda on Tuesday, and is now the league’s joint second-highest scoring team with 90.1 points per game – behind only Monaco (91.2). One key matchup will see rising star Jean Montero (25 points in Belgrade) face all-time competition scoring leader Mike James (16.6 points and 6.4 assists per night), and get ready for an all-action confrontation between dynamic duo Omari Moore (10.6 points, 3.3 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game) and Alpha Diallo (12.3 points, 4.1 boards and a league-high 1.7 steals per night).

### Real Madrid vs. Maccabi Rapyd Tel Aviv (20:45 CET)

Real (12-8) will look to complete a perfect week as it welcomes faltering Maccabi (8-12). Real big man Walter Tavares will take center stage on the night that could see him become the EuroLeague’s all-time leading rebounder – he needs 6 to overtake Paulius Jankunas. Maccabi will try to counter his dominance of the paint through the hustle of Jaylen Hoard, who had 15 points and 5 rebounds in Tuesday’s loss at Barcelona. That game also featured 17 points and 9 assists from Tamir Blatt, who will attempt to take that form into his backcourt battle with Real’s undersized playmaker, Facu Campazzo (20.0 points per game in the last three outings). Blatt’s game-winning three-pointer decided a thriller when the teams met in October, but Real – 8-1 at home – is a different proposition in Madrid.

## Friday, January 9

### Zalgiris Kaunas vs. Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade (19:00 CET)

A pair of direct rivals fighting to stay in the all-important top 10 meet in Kaunas as Zalgiris (11-9) welcomes Zvezda (11-9). Both teams have struggled to maintain their outstanding early-season form, with Zalgiris suffering its latest loss at Virtus on Tuesday despite another strong game from Azuolas Tubelis (22 points, 5 rebounds). He faces a big battle with Zvezda’s stretch four Chima Moneke, whose 15 points and 9 boards were not enough to prevent a fifth defeat in seven games against Valencia earlier this week. The home team defense will have to deal with Jordan Nwora, who has netted 24 and 22 points in the last two games, while Zvezda’s defensive focus is disrupting the playmaking of league leading distributor Sylvain Francisco (7.0 assists per game).

### Olympiacos Piraeus vs. FC Bayern Munich (20:15 CET)

Olympiacos (11-8) faces a tough test on its home floor from rejuvenated Bayern (7-13). The German team made it two wins out of two by scoring 36 fourth-quarter points to down Baskonia on Wednesday, with Andreas Obst serving another reminder of his scoring abilities (37 points). Olympiacos is looking to rebound from a defeat at Fenerbahce, when the usual heroics from Sasha Vezenkov (24 points) were not enough to overcome poor long-range shooting (5-of-23). The Reds hope to have Nikola Milutinov back from injury – if not, more responsibility will be placed on the shoulders of Donta Hall, who had a double-double (16 points, 11 boards) in Istanbul. Bayern has added backcourt depth with the addition of Nenad Dimitrijevic, who made a solid debut with 8 points and 4 assists on Wednesday night.

### FC Barcelona vs. Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade (20:30 CET)

It is a night of reunions at the Palau Blaugrana as Barcelona (13-7) welcomes free-falling Partizan (6-14). The visiting team will be led by former Barca coach Joan Penarroya, who will look for big contributions from a pair of players in equally familiar surroundings: playmaker Nick Calathes and shooter Jabari Parker. The game will be preceded by December’s MVP presentation to home star Kevin Punter who – like teammate Jan Vesely – will try to pile more pain onto his former club. Partizan slipped to a fifth straight loss at Monaco earlier this week while Barca got back into winning ways by downing Maccabi, with big man Toko Shengelia making a successful return from injury as he powered to 22 points. Finding defensive resistance to repel him, Punter and fit-again Nico Laprovittola is Partizan’s challenge.

### EA7 Emporio Armani Milan vs. Anadolu Efes Istanbul (20:30 CET)

Milan (10-10) will look to keep pushing towards the top 10 by downing struggling Efes (6-14). The Italian team showed its potential with an impressive road victory over Panathinaikos on Tuesday, led by the usual long-range scoring heroics of Armoni Brooks (24 points on 5-of-9 three-point shooting). The visitors, who have lost four in a row, will hope to get a boost from new backcourt signing Saben Lee, and would greatly welcome Vincent Poirier’s presence if the big man can return from injury – if he is absent, Efes could struggle to contain the threat of Milan powerhouse Josh Nebo, who has averaged 15.3 points and 5.3 boards in the last three games. Milan won 93-97 when the teams met in Istanbul in October, and will fancy its chances of completing a sweep on Friday.

### Kosner Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz vs. LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne (20:30 CET)

Two teams fighting to escape last place meet in Vitoria as Baskonia (6-14) hosts ASVEL (6-14). Baskonia needs to overcome the disappointment of a fourth-quarter collapse at Bayern on Wednesday, and hopes to welcome back former ASVEL star Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot and fellow shooter Markus Howard after they were unavailable in Round 20. The French team will lean heavily on the backcourt duo of ex-Baskonia playmaker Thomas Heurtel and Glynn Watson, while new frontcourt signing Paul Eboua will hope to continue his integration with significant minutes. ASVEL has not won on the road all season but can take confidence from beating Baskonia in Round 2, when 23 points from Zac Seljaas, including 5 triples, secured a 102-95 win. Seljaas has gone 0-of-9 from deep in the last two games, so a return to form would be welcome.

Andy West previews Round 21 of the 2025-26 EuroLeague season

FC Barcelona v Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade (2026-01-09T19:30:00.000Z)

EA7 Emporio Armani Milan v Anadolu Efes Istanbul (2026-01-09T19:30:00.000Z)

Kosner Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz v LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne (2026-01-09T19:30:00.000Z)

Olympiacos Piraeus v FC Bayern Munich (2026-01-09T19:15:00.000Z)

Zalgiris Kaunas v Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade (2026-01-09T18:00:00.000Z)

One of the best pure shooters in basketball earned MVP of the Round honors for the first time, as Andreas Obst of FC Bayern Munich secured Round 20 MVP honors with a career-high PIR of 38.

Round 20 MVP: Andreas Obst, FC Bayern Munich

One of the best pure shooters in basketball earned MVP of the Round honors for the first time, as [Andreas Obst](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/andreas-obst/004508/) of [FC Bayern Munich](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/fc-bayern-munich/mun/) secured Round 20 MVP honors with a career-high PIR of 38.

Obst led Bayern to a 96-89 home win over Kosner Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz with a career-best 37 points, a new Bayern record. He hit 6-of-7 two-pointers, 7-of-11 three-pointers and 4-of-5 free throws, adding 3 rebounds, 2 assists and 3 fouls drawn for a PIR of 38, the highest in this round. Obst earned MVP of the Round honors for the first time, and he became the first Bayern player to reach this achievement this season.

[Sasha Vezenkov](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/sasha-vezenkov/003469/) of Olympiacos Piraeus amassed a PIR of 32 in the Reds' 88-80 road loss at Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul. Vezenkov had 24 points on 7-of-8 two-pointers, 1-of-3 three-pointers and 7-of-7 free throws, as well as 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal and 4 fouls drawn.

[Jean Montero](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/jean-montero/010042/) of Valencia Basket had a PIR of 31 in his team's 89-106 road victory over Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade. Montero had 25 points on 6-of-7 two-pointers, 3-of-8 three-pointers and 4-of-4 free throws, in addition to 3 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 steals and 2 fouls drawn.

[Antonio Blakeney](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/antonio-blakeney/013402/) of Hapoel IBI Tel Aviv, [Matteo Spagnolo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/matteo-spagnolo/008173/) of Baskonia and [Armoni Brooks](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/armoni-brooks/013384/) of EA7 Emporio Armani Milan, each with a PIR of 28, complete the top individual performances in Round 20. Blakeney posted 25 points, 7 rebounds, 1 steal and 2 fouls drawn in Hapoel’s 85-60 win against Dubai Basketball, Spangolo amassed 20 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, zero turnovers and 4 fouls drawn as Baskonia lost to Bayern, and Brooks recorded 24 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal, 2 blocks and 3 fouls drawn in Milan’s 74-87 win at Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens.

### Individual highs: Wade Baldwin, Fenerbahce, 11 assists

Andreas Obst of Bayern led all scorers with 37 points, a new club record. Nadir Hifi remains the competition's top scorer with 20.4 points per game.

Donta Hall of Olympiacos led all rebounders by pulling down 11 in Round 20. Chima Moneke of Crvena Zvezda is the competition's best rebounder with 7.8 boards per night.

Wade Baldwin of Fenerbahce dished 11 assists, more than anyone in Round 20. Sylvain Francisco of Zalgiris Kaunas ranks first overall with 7.0 assists per game.

Four players collected 4 steals apiece in this round: Jean Montero of Valencia, Markquis Nowell of Baskonia, Elijah Bryant of Hapoel and Nikola Mirotic of AS Monaco. Alpha Diallo, also of Monaco, leads the overall standings with 1.7 steals per game.

Mbaye Ndiaye of LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne and Willy Hernangomez of FC Barcelona each had a round-best 3 blocks. Walter Tavares of Real Madrid ranks first overall with 2.0 blocks per game.

Five players had respective double-doubles in Round 20: Francisco (10 points, 10 assists), Willy Hernangomez (10 points, 10 rebounds), Donta Hall (16 points, 11 rebounds), Wade Baldwin (17 points, 11 assists), and Kostas Sloukas of Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens (13 points, 10 assists).

FC Bayern Munich v Kosner Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz (2026-01-07T19:30:00.000Z)

EuroLeague fans, we have our 20th winner in this season's EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge! Arvydas Gydra beat everyone else in Round 20 with his team CirkasBePinigu, which had a Fantasy Challenge score of 236.70.

EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge Round 20 winner

EuroLeague fans, we have our 20th winner in this season's [EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge](https://euroleaguefantasy.euroleaguebasketball.net/)! Arvydas Gydra beat everyone else in Round 20 with his team CirkasBePinigu, which had a Fantasy Challenge score of 236.70.

Arvydas had the following lineup: Andreas Obst of FC Bayern Munich as his team captain, then Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul's Talen Horton-Tucker, Valencia Basket's Kameron Taylor, Virtus Bologna's Derrick Alston and Real Madrid's Walter Tavares as his other starters. Antonio Blakeney of Hapoel IBI Tel Aviv was his sixth man. Arvydas's bench players were AS Monaco's Mike James, Bayern's David McCormack, FC Barcelona's Joel Parra and Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz's Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot. Real Madrid play-caller Sergio Scariolo was Slobodan's head coach.

The prize for finishing first in Round 20 is a VIP EuroLeague TV Subscription for the 2026-27 Season, and an automatic entry to a lottery to win two tickets to the 2027 Final Four.

Trades are now open for Round 21 of the [EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge](https://euroleaguefantasy.euroleaguebasketball.net/). Remember, four trades are allowed before each round until the end of the regular season. You can either trade up to four players, or a head coach and three players.

The first game of Round 21, Dubai Basketball vs. Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul, is scheduled to tip off on Thursday, January 8 at 17:00 CET. This marks the next round's deadline.

Make new teams now or improve your existing ones and try to become our next round winner! To help with that, watch the EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge podcast weekly on the [EuroLeague's YouTube channel](https://www.youtube.com/@euroleague) and on all audio platforms.

EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge offers weekly prizes to the top team manager. 

FC Bayern Munich rallied from 12 down in the fourth quarter to beat Baskonia 96-89, fueled by Andreas Obst’s career-high 37 points and PIR 38. New coach Svetislav Pesic praised defense as the key to Bayern’s second straight win.

Andreas Obst’s 37-Point Explosion Lifts Bayern Over Baskonia 96-89 

[FC Bayern Munich](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/fc-bayern-munich/mun/) prevailed in a titanic tussle over [Kosner Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/teams/baskonia-vitoria-gasteiz/bas/) 96-89 after the home team’s sharpshooter [Andreas Obst](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/andreas-obst/004508/) set career highs of 37 points and a PIR of 38 in a breathtaking individual performance on Wednesday.

Obst shot 13-of-18 from the floor, including 7-of-11 from deep, as Bayern wiped out a 12-point fourth quarter deficit for a second straight win following nine successive defeats, with the German side’s fortunes changing upon the arrival of new head coach Svetislav Pesic.

Obst, whose previous records stood at 34 points and a PIR of 30 in a November 2024 home win over FC Barcelona, displayed his vast arsenal of attacking skills as he mixed lethal shots from downtown with incisive drives to the basket, which left his markers dazzled.

FC Bayern Munich-Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz | Round 20 Highlights | 2025-26 EuroLeague

Pesic was quick to praise Obst, highlighting his defensive effort as the coach stressed it generated the offensive potential which ultimately turned the tide after Bayern trailed 38-46 at halftime.

“Andreas built his confidence on defense,” the Serbian tactician said in his postgame comments. 

“On offense, he makes whatever he wants. He can attack, penetrate as he is not just an excellent shooter but also a very good defender on the ball. Tonight we played two different games – in the first half we saved energy, but in the second we brought energy, especially in the third quarter. It was an excellent effort and I am 100 percent sure that playing with energy on defense built confidence for offense,” Pesic added.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">CAREER-HIGH TYPE OF NIGHT FOR <a href="https://twitter.com/Fruit_96?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Fruit_96</a>! 🚨<br><br>German sharp shooter with a huge performance to seal the <a href="https://twitter.com/FCBBasketball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FCBBasketball</a> win!<br><br>1/2 <a href="https://t.co/SWVwo431Sn">pic.twitter.com/SWVwo431Sn</a></p>&mdash; EuroLeague (@EuroLeague) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague/status/2009014193182396741?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 7, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Baskonia, which suffered a fourth successive loss, looked the more likely winner after three quarters as a solid team effort led by [Matteo Spagnolo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/matteo-spagnolo/008173/) (20 points) and backed up by [Rodions Kurucs](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/rodions-kurucs/005713/) and [Eugene Omoruyi](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/eugene-omoruyi/014207/) (13 each) put the Spanish side in the driving seat. Having turned a 24-19 deficit into a 60-69 lead at the end of the third, Baskonia surged ahead 60-72 at the start of the fourth with Obst featuring as a solitary beacon of light for the hosts.

[Justinian Jessup](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/justinian-jessup/013290/) (17 points) then followed in Obst’s footsteps in crunch time as he made some big shots down the stretch and [Isiaha Mike](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/isiaha-mike/011836/) looked the part too, as Bayern found a couple of extra gears in the home straight to dominate the fourth quarter 36-20. Ultimately, though, it came down to the effervescent Obst, who stayed humble as ever in his postgame comments.

“It was a well-fought game against a good Baskonia team,” he said.  “They came to compete and play hard, we had some problems in the first half and a bit in the second, but we stayed together and played with confidence.

“I played with confidence, my teammates were looking for me and I executed pretty well. Everybody made big shots today so it was a team effort for sure. We got some energy from defense while JJ (Justinian Jessup) and Isiaha made some big shots in the end too, you work hard for these moments.”

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Sometimes you just have to give credit where it’s due…<a href="https://twitter.com/Baskonia?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Baskonia</a>’s coach Paolo Galbiati recognised how huge was Andi Obst tonight 👏 <a href="https://t.co/Dk3GAdGUzQ">pic.twitter.com/Dk3GAdGUzQ</a></p>&mdash; EuroLeague (@EuroLeague) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague/status/2009020546651169173?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 7, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Jessup too heaped praise on Obst and pointed out that rugged defense helped Bayern claw its way back into the contest, as the hosts produced several streaks, including an 11-0 run that tied the game (51-51) in the third quarter, eventually forcing Baskonia into submission.

“The second half was amazing. Andi was kind of carrying us there for pretty much the whole game, so a shout out to him,” Jessup said. “Our defensive intensity picked up a lot as well and the energy carried us through the game. We were down by 12 in the fourth for a moment, so finishing the game the way we did was huge for us.”

It was a moment to savor for Bayern after the previous round’s 95-71 rout of Maccabi Rapyd Tel Aviv, the German side’s biggest win of the season, while Baskonia dropped to 6-14 as it sorely missed the injured duo of Marcus Howard and Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot.

It was also sweet revenge for going down to Baskonia 95-73 in the reverse fixture in November and visiting head coach Paolo Galbiati acknowledged that, being shorthanded aside, Baskonia got undone by one factor only.

“Andi Obst, he is a great player,” said the 41-year-old Italian tactician. “We finished a little bit short in switching defense in the final period and they shot 9 of 13 for three points in the second half, which is amazing.”

The sharpshooter set personal highs in points scored and PIR in a come-from-behind triumph

Andreas Obst drops 37 as Bayern stuns Baskonia with epic comeback 

Nadir Hifi erupted for 27 points as Paris Basketball quelled the ghosts of fourth quarters past to defeat Anadolu Efes Istanbul.

Nadir Hifi helps Paris put fourth-quarter nightmares to bed at Efes

For [Paris Basketball](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/paris-basketball/prs/), it looked as though history was about to repeat itself at the Turkcell Basketball Development Center.

Having led for much of the second and third quarters, Paris entered the fourth quarter at [Anadolu Efes Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/teams/anadolu-efes-istanbul/ist/) clinging to a 64-65 advantage. When [Jared Rhoden](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/jared-rhoden/014178/)’s three-pointer pushed the visitors 70-72 ahead, the ghosts of fourth quarters past loomed once more.

Five points from [Ercan Osmani](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/ercan-osmani/012710/) and a pair of free throws by [Saben Lee](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/saben-lee/013389/) – making his EuroLeague debut for Efes – swung momentum back to the hosts, who opened up a 77-72 lead with 5:38 remaining. Once again, Paris appeared to be letting a fourth-quarter lead slip away.

This time, however, the script changed.

A [Yakuba Ouattara](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/yakuba-ouattara/004197/) fast-break layup and a [Justin Robinson](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/justin-robinson/014008/) three, followed by another Robinson layup, quickly restored Paris’s advantage at 77-79. [Allan Dokossi](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/allan-dokossi/014010/) then rejected [Rolands Smits](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/rolands-smits/007109/) at the rim, and after nearly two and a half scoreless minutes for both teams, [Nadir Hifi](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/nadir-hifi/012640/) delivered the dagger – a step-back three that made it 77-82 with 39 seconds left.

After a timeout, Lee snapped Efes’s five-minute scoring drought with a layup, but Rhoden calmly iced the game from the free-throw line to seal a 79-84 victory.

Anadolu Efes Istanbul-Paris Basketball | Round 20 Highlights | 2025-26 EuroLeague

Hifi finished with 27 points – tied for the second-highest scoring output of his EuroLeague career – and will deservedly draw most of the headlines. For Paris, though, the win carried deeper significance. Not only did it halt a recurring pattern of fourth-quarter collapses, it also snapped a six-game road losing streak. Francesco Tabellini’s side had not won away from home since October 24, [when it beat Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade 83-101](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/brilliant-nadir-hifi-shows-there-is-life-at-paris-after-tj-shorts/) in Round 6.

“I think it was a very important win for us,” Tabellini said afterward. “There was a lot on the table. The result is a consequence of the discipline and mental fortitude of my players, because too many times this season we’ve blown leads.

“It was a small lead, but it felt like another fourth quarter was slipping away. Instead, they showed great resilience, great discipline. They deserved it. The way we prepared, the way we kept bouncing back – they did a tremendous job, and I’m really happy for them.”

Alongside Hifi’s scoring, Rhoden also stood out in his return after missing Round 19. The guard said the time away helped him approach the closing moments with a clearer mindset.

“I had some time off to think about how we can close games and stay resilient,” Rhoden told EuroLeague TV. “I think we executed pretty well. We have to keep staying with it, staying resilient, and hopefully we can build on this win and find some consistency.”

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">HIFI SINKS THE DAGGER THREE! 🗡️<br><br> That CLUTCH gene 🧬 <a href="https://twitter.com/thenadirhifi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@thenadirhifi</a> <a href="https://t.co/ByE9nsRwJo">pic.twitter.com/ByE9nsRwJo</a></p>&mdash; EuroLeague (@EuroLeague) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague/status/2008984965829324900?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 7, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Whether the victory proves to be a turning point remains to be seen, but Tabellini is confident Paris will take valuable lessons from the night in Istanbul.

“Our purpose is to play collective basketball,” he said. “It doesn’t come immediately. The team is new, the system is new – it takes time. The willingness to play together has always been there, but under pressure it hasn’t always shown. That’s part of the process. Now we need to speed that process up, and tonight was an important step.”

Efes, meanwhile, continues to search for consistency. Pablo Laso knew the challenge he was taking on, but after an impressive road win at Zalgiris Kaunas in his debut, the Turkish side has now dropped four straight games. Efes will look to reset later in the double-round week when it travels to face [an EA7 Emporio Armani Milan team riding high after a win over Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/armoni-brooks-helps-milan-sting-panathinaikos-again/) on Tuesday night.

The French side grabbed its first road win since October 24, 2025

Anadolu Efes Istanbul v Paris Basketball (2026-01-07T17:30:00.000Z)