It has been a great week for three-time Turkish Airlines EuroLeague champion Sergio “Chacho” Rodriguez, who was inducted to EA7 Emporio Armani Milan's Hall of Fame on Thursday night. Enjoy this feature documentary, and expect more ‘Chacho’ features in the near future.

The EuroLeague unveils ‘Chacho’, a special feature on Sergio Rodriguez

It has been a great week for three-time Turkish Airlines EuroLeague champion [Sergio “Chacho” Rodriguez](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/sergio-rodriguez/cvm/), who was inducted to [EA7 Emporio Armani Milan](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/ea7-emporio-armani-milan/mil/?season=2024-25)'s Hall of Fame on Thursday night.

Back in July, Euroleague Basketball’s Javier Gancedo and Dominik Cromack traveled to Rodriguez's basketball camp in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain, to talk about his legendary 20-year career, focusing on his EuroLeague years with Estudiantes, [Real Madrid](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/real-madrid/mad/?season=2024-25), CSKA Moscow and Milan. The result is an 11-minute feature called ‘Chacho’ in which Rodriguez looks back on his biggest achievements in European club basketball.

"Chacho" won two EuroLeague titles with Real in 2015 and 2023, and also lifted the trophy with CSKA in 2019, becoming the first Spanish-born player to win the EuroLeague with a foreign club.

He was chosen as the 2013-14 EuroLeague MVP, even though he did not win the competition that season. Rodriguez went to as many as nine Final Fours (in 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2023, 2024 with Real; in 2018 and 2019 with CSKA; and in 2021 Milan) despite playing in the NBA for five seasons, which prevented him from having even more spectacular numbers this side of the Atlantic.

In addition, Rodriguez was named to the 2017-18 All-EuroLeague Second Team, won domestic league championships in Italy, Spain and Russia, and was an Olympic medalist, as well as a EuroBasket and world champion with the Spanish national team.

Above all, "Chacho" was universally loved by teammates, media and fans for his unique love of the game. Enjoy this feature documentary, and expect more ‘Chacho’ features in the near future.

More Sergio Rodriguez News

The legendary point guard decided to hang up his sneakers this past summer

A great performance in a winning effort has seen Jan Vesely of FC Barcelona earn Round 8 MVP honors with a PIR of 28, which is a season high for the Czech center and the highest of any winning player this week.

Round 8 MVP: Jan Vesely, FC Barcelona

A great performance in a winning effort has seen [Jan Vesely](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/jan-vesely/000925/) of FC Barcelona earn Round 8 MVP honors with a PIR of 28, which is a season high for the Czech center and the highest of any winning player this week.

Vesely helped Barcelona down Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz 91-68, finishing the game with 17 points on 3-of-7 two-pointers, 3-of-3 three-pointers and 2-of-2 free throws, as well as 10 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, 2 blocks and 2 fouls drawn. This is the second time that Vesely has hit 3-of-3 three-pointers in a EuroLeague game. The first time came on December 23, 2010, almost 14 years ago, while he was playing for Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade against – curiously enough – Baskonia. This is the fifth time he has earned MVP of the Round honors in his 360-game career, and the first time since Round 1 of the 2018-19 campaign, which is when he earned EuroLeague season MVP honors.

The highest PIR of this round belonged to [Gabriele Procida](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/gabriele-procida/008384/) of ALBA Berlin, who stood out in a 92-71 losing effort against Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade. Procida had a career-high 25 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 steals and 2 blocks for a personal-best PIR of 34. [Carlik Jones](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/carlik-jones/013369/) of Partizan had a PIR of 32, a career best, in his team's 74-71 road loss against Paris Basketball. He had 20 points, 8 rebounds, 10 assists, 1 steal, 1 block and 5 fouls drawn. [Nando De Colo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/nando-de-colo/002100/) of LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne amassed a PIR of 29 in a 73-77 losing effort against Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul, amassing 18 points, 2 rebounds, 11 assists (matching his career high), 2 steals and 5 fouls drawn. [Vincent Poirier](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/vincent-poirier/004887/) of Anadolu Efes Istanbul, with a PIR of 25, completes the top individual performances in Round 8. He posted 14 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists and 1 block as Efes lost 69-81 to AS Monaco.

 

### Individual highs: Nigel Hayes-Davis and Gabriele Procida, 25 points

Fenerbahce’s [Nigel Hayes-Davis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/nigel-hayes-davis/008962/) and ALBA’s Procida were the top scorers in Round 8 with 25 points apiece. [Carsen Edwards](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/carsen-edwards/011987/) is the competition's top scorer with 20.1 points per game.

[Tyrique Jones](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/tyrique-jones/011981/) of Partizan and Vesely led all rebounders, each pulling down 10 in this round. [Neal Sako](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/neal-sako/010545/) of LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne is first overall with 8.5 per night.

ASVEL’s De Colo and Olympiacos Piraeus’s [Thomas Walkup](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/thomas-walkup/008855/) dished 11 assists apiece to lead the weekly standings. Paris playmaker [TJ Shorts](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/tj-shorts/012608/) ranks first in assists with 7.5 per night.

Eight players had three steals apiece in Round 8: [Arnas Butkevicius](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/arnas-butkevicius/002676/) of Zalgiris Kaunas, [Fabien Causeur](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/fabien-causeur/001392/) of EA7 Emporio Armani Milan, [Iffe Lundberg](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/iffe-lundberg/010781/) of Partizan, [Chimezie Metu](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/chimezie-metu/013379/) of Barcelona, [Kendrick Nunn](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/kendrick-nunn/012774/) of Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens, [Jordan Nwora](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/jordan-nwora/013363/) of Efes and two ALBA players: Procida and [Ziga Samar](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/ziga-samar/007550/). [Mike James](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/mike-james/005985/) of Monaco is the 2024-25 EuroLeague steals leader with 1.8 per night.

[Donta Hall](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/donta-hall/011196/) of Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz, [Kevarrius Hayes](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/kevarrius-hayes/010390/) of Paris, [Aleksej Pokusevski](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/aleksej-pokusevski/008232/) of Partizan and [Darius Thompson](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/darius-thompson/011078/) of Efes each had 3 blocks in Round 8. [Khalifa Koumadje](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/khalifa-koumadje/010791/) of ALBA ranks first with 1.8 blocks per game.

De Colo (18 points, 11 assists), Vesely (17 points, 10 rebounds) and Partizan duo Tyrique Jones (11 points, 10 rebounds) and Carlik Jones (20 points, 10 assists) each recorded a double-double in this round.

Vesely's first MVP of the Round award in more than six years.

Turkish Airlines EuroLeague fans, we have our eighth winner in this season's EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge! Paschalis Papatheodorou beat everyone else in Round 8 with a team 'applejuice', which had a Fantasy Challenge score of 192.70.

EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge Round 8 winner

Turkish Airlines EuroLeague fans, we have our eighth winner in this season's [EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge](https://euroleaguefantasy.euroleaguebasketball.net/)! Paschalis Papatheodorou beat everyone else in Round 8 with a team 'applejuice', which had a Fantasy Challenge score of 192.70.

Paschalis had the following lineup: Kendrick Nunn of Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens as team captain, then Carlik Jones of Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade, Filip Petrusev of Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade, Vincent Poirier of Anadolu Efes Istanbul and Nigel Hayes-Davis of Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul as his starters, while Crvena Zvezda's Isaiah Canaan was his sixth man. On the bench, Paschalis had Zvezda's Branko Lazic, Partizan's Vanja Marinkovic, Sander Raieste of Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz and Ante Zizic of Virtus Segafredo Bologna. His team's head coach was Ioannis Sfairopoulos of Zvezda.

The prize for finishing first in Round 8 is a free VIP Euroleague TV Subscription for the 2025-26 season, so congratulations, Paschalis!

Aleksej Domazetovic and his team 'NedaPakao' is the new leader of the [EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge](https://euroleaguefantasy.euroleaguebasketball.net/) overall standings with 1,235.90 points.

Trades are now open for Round 9. Remember, four trades are allowed before each round. You can either trade up to four players, or a head coach and three players.

The first game in Round 9 tips off on Tuesday, November 12, as Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul hosts FC Bayern Munich at 18:45 CET. That game marks the next round's deadline.

Make new teams now or improve your existing ones and try to become our next round winner!

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

Virtus Bologna grabbed its first home win of the 2024-25 season by beating Maccabi Tel Aviv BC on Friday night, with Ante Zizic playing an important role for the Italian side.

Ante Zizic came up big for Virtus to stop the rot and subdue Maccabi

[Virtus Segafredo Bologna](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/virtus-segafredo-bologna/vir/) gave its long-suffering fans something to cheer about with an industrious [84-77 home win](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/virtus-grinds-out-hard-fought-win-over-maccabi-84-77/) over [Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/maccabi-playtika-tel-aviv/tel/) in Round 8 of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season, improving to 2-6 while the Israeli outfit dropped to 3-5.

The contest was decided by fine margins as Virtus sank 11-of-25 shots from deep to compensate for struggling from the foul line, having made only 9-of-17 free throws. Maccabi nailed 7 of 17 from downtown and a modest 25 of 52 from two-point territory, where Virtus buried 21 of 38.

The home team clearly took better care of the ball on offense as it dished out 23 assists while committing 11 turnovers, whereas Maccabi only had 15 assists against 13 turnovers.

Maccabi won the battle of the boards overall, 32-35, thanks to racking up 3 offensive rebounds more than Virtus (14-17). However, that particular stat does not paint a picture as 7 of those offensive boards for Virtus came from player of the game [Ante Zizic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/ante-zizic/004554/), who converted most of them into second-chance points which made all the difference in the end.

The Croatian big man was elated after a superb individual performance, in which he amassed 14 points, 9 boards and a career-high 4 steals, facilitating a lifeline win for the Italian team and their first at home in the competition this season.

“It’s a very big and very important win for us,” Zizic said in his post-game comments. “I just tried to get every ball on the rim and tonight was the night as I caught 7 offensive rebounds, but the most important thing is that the team did a great job. We held them \[in check\] defensively, we controlled most of the game and found our shots.

“It’s crucial to protect the home court and tonight we did it thanks to our fans. We had a bad start in the EuroLeague, but they keep getting behind us and pushing us.”

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">What a DIME 💰 <a href="https://twitter.com/VirtusSegafredo?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@VirtusSegafredo</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MotorolaMagicMoment?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MotorolaMagicMoment</a> I <a href="https://twitter.com/Moto?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Moto</a> <a href="https://t.co/NGGk9pln66">pic.twitter.com/NGGk9pln66</a></p>&mdash; Turkish Airlines EuroLeague (@EuroLeague) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague/status/1854997359387648112?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 8, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

The outcome was a huge relief for Virtus head coach Luca Banchi, who came under pressure after a series of tough losses as the Italian side’s only previous win in the competition this season came on the road [against Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade in Round 5](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/virtus-gets-off-the-mark-with-hard-fought-win-at-partizan-69-70/).

“We were pretty solid and produced a better shot selection in the second half, while we also did an excellent job with the offensive rebounds,” said Banchi. “Everybody stepped up to finally get this first home win in the EuroLeague.” 

[Toko Shengelia](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/tornike-shengelia/001133/) produced another rock-solid performance for Virtus, dropping a team-high 16 points on 7-of-10 shooting from the floor to go with 5 rebounds and 2 assists. The Georgian forward heaped praise on the fervent home fans who roared on their team relentlessly from start to finish.

“At this point we needed to win, and I feel like the whole team should be standing here because everyone did an amazing job,” Shengelia said in the interview area. “Zizic’s presence was crucial today and the fans’ support was unbelievable. We know a tough schedule is coming up so we have to start preparing for it as of tomorrow.”

Virtus Segafredo Bologna forward Toko Shengelia spoke to EuroLeague TV after his team's win against Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv in Round 8 of the 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.

Toko Shengelia: 'The whole team should be standing here'

Virtus could not have asked for a more challenging double round next week, as the Italian side visits Real Madrid before taking on reigning champion Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens at home.

Maccabi’s timetable is just as demanding, with the Israeli travelling to take on Panathinaikos before entertaining the other Greek powerhouse, Olympiacos Piraeus.

Game News

The Croatian center shined in all departments as the Italian side celebrated only its second win this season

Virtus Segafredo Bologna v Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv (2024-11-08T19:30:00.000Z)

Nigel Hayes-Davis scored at least 20 points for the third straight game as Fenerbahce Beko grabbed a win at LDLC ASVEL in Round 8 of the 2024-25 EuroLeague season.

Fenerbahce got job done at ASVEL with a strong showing from Nigel Hayes-Davis

[Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/fenerbahce-beko-istanbul/ulk/) head coach Saras Jasikevicius knows his team cannot pull off victories with beautiful free-flowing basketball right now. But thanks to [Nigel Hayes-Davis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/nigel-hayes-davis/008962/) covering for injured star point guard [Wade Baldwin](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/wade-baldwin-iv/009863/), the Turkish giant is in the upper echelons of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague standings after [a 73-77 win at LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/fenerbahce-overcomes-de-colo-asvel-for-third-straight-win/).

With that result, Fenerbahce has now won three straight games – as well as its last three on the road – to improve to a 6-2 record.

“We wanted to win the game in an ugly way and this is the only way we can do it right now. We have beaten some very good teams this year playing ugly and pulling through,” Jasikevicius told EuroLeague TV after the game.

Two statistics really stood out for the Lithuanian play-caller. The first was the team making just 6-of-32 three-pointers. That came after Fenerbahce made an abysmal 3-of-32 triple attempts against Petkim in the Turkish League last weekend.

“6 of 32 is really a bad number. The last two games we really haven’t been hitting shots,” he noted.

But Fenerbahce grabbed 19 offensive records, tying a club record in the EuroLeague in that category.

“That shows that the guys have a fighting spirit,” the coach added.

Jasikevicius also mentioned how difficult the game was without Baldwin, who went down with a right hamstring sprain just 3 minutes into the game.

“We expected this type of game here, it’s always difficult. And then you lose Wade in the first couple of minutes. Some of our point guards are not ready yet. We are waiting for them. We need to be patient with them. This is just the way it is this year,” the coach noted.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="qme" dir="ltr">💛💙<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/IbX7bHIJs0">pic.twitter.com/IbX7bHIJs0</a></p>&mdash; Fenerbahçe Beko (@FBBasketbol) <a href="https://twitter.com/FBBasketbol/status/1855004634139836709?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 8, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Hayes-Davis stepped up with 25 points – the third straight game he had tallied at least 20 points.

“My mindset was just to try to be aggressive. All my threes weren’t going in but just keep going, keep trying and always try to be aggressive and play with determination and play with confidence. That’s what we did and we got the win,” Hayes-Davis said.

“It’s a big win. It was a tough one because we lost our starting point guard. Get well soon to Wade. We don’t know what happened by everyone is sending their wishes for him.”

[Marko Guduric](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/marko-guduric/004004/) had to play more of a point guard role with Baldwin out and he collected 12 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists.

“We lost Wade in the first minutes of the game so it was not easy, but I am happy that we got the win,”  Guduric added.

Wade Baldwin suffered an injury early in a blow to the Turkish side

LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne v Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul (2024-11-08T19:00:00.000Z)

Evan Fournier had a telling impact in the final moments of the Greek derby to ensure that Olympiacos BC came out with the win at OAKA.

Clutch Evan Fournier decided the Greek derby in style

Friday night's Greek derby between [Olympiacos Piraeus](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/olympiacos-piraeus/oly/) and [Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/panathinaikos-aktor-athens/pan/), Round 8's Rivalry Series game, will live long in the memory. And not just for [Evan Fournier](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/evan-fournier/013380/)'s fourth-quarter heroics.

In what was the 22nd time that these two archrivals had met in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague this century, the fans at OAKA witnessed the highest-scoring non-overtime Greek derby in the modern EuroLeague.

Olympiacos led for all but a few moments of a 40-minute, high-quality clash, and eventually [downed Panathinaikos 89-94](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/olympiacos-claims-bragging-rights-in-rivalry-series-win-over-panathinaikos-89-94/).

Apart from the unusually high-scoring affair in an emotionally charged environment, what really stood out on the night was the number of players from both teams taking turns to fuel their respective teams' runs.

First it was [Luca Vildoza](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/luca-vildoza/007947/) and [Sasha Vezenkov](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/sasha-vezenkov/003469/) giving a spark to the Reds' offense in the opening 10 minutes, then [Nikola Milutinov](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/nikola-milutinov/003941/), [Shaq McKissic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/shaquielle-mckissic/007853/) and [Nigel Williams-Goss](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/nigel-williams-goss/007982/) stepping up in the second quarter to give the visitors a 13-point lead.

For Panathinaikos, it was [Juancho Hernangomez](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/juancho-hernangomez/012712/) and [Kendrick Nunn](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/kendrick-nunn/012774/) giving the hosts a boost before [Kostas Sloukas](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/kostas-sloukas/001926/) almost single-handedly halved the deficit just before the halftime.

[Mathias Lessort](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/mathias-lessort/003842/) led the Greens' charge in the third quarter, with Hernangomez and Nunn hitting from long range, but the Reds remained in front thanks to [Thomas Walkup](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/thomas-walkup/008855/) feeding Vezenkov, who had 11 points in the third quarter.

Evan Fournier scored 10 of his 22 points in the fourth quarter of the Greek derby, lifting Olympiacos to an 89-94 win.

Clutch Fournier lifted Olympiacos to a Greek Derby victory

Then, in the fourth, Panathinaikos kept chipping away at the lead as [Cedi Osman](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/cedi-osman/004088/) did his part, while Nunn continued to score more big baskets. And as Panathinaikos finally took an 83-82 lead with 3:15 to go in the fourth quarter, it was Even Fournier's turn to step into the limelight.

"Every game is different based on what the team is doing," Fournier explained in a EuroLeague TV interview after the game.

"I can do many things, but I try not to force things and to answer when need me, like late in the possession."

And boy, did Fournier deliver when his team really needed him.

It's not as if the star guard was having a quiet night, either. Up until that point, Fournier had 14 points to his name, but then he nailed a long off-the-dribble, shot-clock-beating triple over the outstretched hand of Osman.

On Olympiacos's next trip down the floor, with the score tied at 85-85, Fournier nailed a jumper from the right corner, with his toes on the three-point line, which gave Olympiacos the lead for good with 2:10 to go.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/EvanFourmizz?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EvanFourmizz</a> tactics and play style? Well he just copied Sasha of course 😅<br><br>The two <a href="https://twitter.com/Olympiacos_BC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Olympiacos_BC</a> stars joined our <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RivalrySeries?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RivalrySeries</a> Post-Game show after the Greek Derby win and the vibes? Immaculate 🫴 <a href="https://t.co/hGybMZ6OhC">pic.twitter.com/hGybMZ6OhC</a></p>&mdash; Turkish Airlines EuroLeague (@EuroLeague) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague/status/1855005972047007914?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 8, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

But that was not all from Fournier in the game's key moments. 

Entering the final minute, and after a missed shot by Nunn, Fournier dribbled the ball through Panathinaikos's paint, seemingly trying to get as much time off the clock. 

However, once he was left all open on a three-pointer, despite still having 14 seconds on the shot clock and 52 seconds to play, Fournier kept his cool and knocked down his fourth three-pointer of the night, making it 85-92 and sealing the deal.

"It is a wonderful feeling, especially to win on the road," he said after his first Greek derby in the EuroLeague. "The atmosphere was great. It was a tough game, they have a lot of good players. I am proud because it is a team win."

And this one is worth a bit little more. On the road, against an archrival which happens to be the reigning champion. And Olympiacos has Fournier to thank, as he delivered when it mattered most.

The Frenchman scored 8 of his 22 points in the final 3 minutes of the game

Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens v Olympiacos Piraeus (2024-11-08T19:15:00.000Z)

FC Barcelona big man Jan Vesely showed another side to his evolving game during his team's Round 8 win against Baskonia in the EuroLeague.

Jan Vesely is still adding more strings to his bow at 34

For fans of [FC Barcelona](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/fc-barcelona/bar/?season=2024-25), there were perhaps a few gasps on Friday night [Jan Vesely](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/jan-vesely/000925/) as showed what he can do from long range in [a 91-68 win over Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/jan-vesely-leads-barcelona-past-baskonia-91-68/), a result that improved the *Azulgrana* to a 6-2 record.

Vesely was focused from the early going, hitting a pair of his trademark mid-range jumpers before adding a three-pointer in a 13-0 lead that allowed Barcelona to control the game from start to finish. The 34-year-old big man later buried two more three-pointers in the fourth quarter to seal the outcome long before the final buzzer.

In other words, Vesely has officially extended his range beyond the three-point line, adding another string to his bow in the process. 

FC Barceloina Jan Vesely had 17 points and 10 rebounds against Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz, hitting 3 three-pointers in a EuroLeague game for the first time in almost 14 years!

Vesely gets double-double against Baskonia

Before this season, Vesely had hit 31 of the 111 shots he has attempted from three-point land (27.9% 3FG). As many as 23 of those three-pointers came in his first three EuroLeague seasons with [Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/partizan-mozzart-bet-belgrade/par/?season=2024-25), when he played small forward. Since then, Vesely went 8 of 35 from beyond the arc (22.9% 3FG)

This season, he has hit all of his four three-point shots (100%). Friday night was also the second time that Vesely has hit 3-of-3 three-pointers in the EuroLeague game, having previously achieved this feat on December 23, 2010, almost 14 years ago, against – curiously enough – Baskonia.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="ca" dir="ltr">𝐉𝐚𝐧 𝐕𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐲, amb tres triples, ha igualat el seu millor registre en tirs de tres en un partit d’Eurolliga 🎯<br><br>L’anterior registre és del 23 de desembre del 2010 en un partit amb el Partizan contra el Caja Laboral Vitoria 🔙<br><br>ESPECTACULAR, JAN 🔥🔥🔥 <a href="https://t.co/m9mnSbR8cl">pic.twitter.com/m9mnSbR8cl</a></p>&mdash; Barça Basket (@FCBbasket) <a href="https://twitter.com/FCBbasket/status/1855003613233660101?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 8, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

"Not bad! I am working on it. I was open, I felt it so I shot them," Vesely told EuroLeague TV after the game. "I try to play for the team. 

"Today, I had open shots and I was making them, so I am happy. I try to help the team as much as I can. Today, it was points and rebounds, and the next game it can be different"

Vesely finished the game with 17 points and season highs of 10 rebounds and a 28 PIR, all in less than 25 minutes.

His three-point accuracy should not surprise EuroLeague fans and experts, as Vesely has improved in many aspects of his game throughout his career. He transitioned to being a center when he returned to the EuroLeague with [Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/fenerbahce-beko-istanbul/ulk/?season=2024-25), coached at the time by Zeljko Obradovic. 

In his first two seasons with Fenerbahce, Vesely hit just 96-of-203 free-throw attempts (47.2%), notably going 1 of 10 in the 2016 championship game against CSKA Moscow which his team lost in overtime. In his three seasons with Barcelona, Vesely has made 176-of-220 free throw attempts (80.0% FT).

In other words, Vesely keeps proving that age in just a number and a player can keep improving throughout his career. He is definitely a way more effective player than he was before, very different from the explosive big man that we saw with Partizan and Fenerbahce, but definitely still able to throw it down with authority. 

With Vesely continuing to surprise fans with his progression, he is helping his longevity in the long run, which is certainly good news for EuroLeague viewers.

The veteran center's game continues to evolve, as he showed against Baskonia

FC Barcelona v Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz (2024-11-08T19:30:00.000Z)

Olympiacos BC beat archrival Panathinaikos BC 89-94 in this week's Rivalry Series game to secure its seventh straight win against the Greens in the EuroLeague.

Olympiacos claims bragging rights in Rivalry Series win over Panathinaikos, 89-94

Olympiacos Piraeus led for all but 25 seconds in the first Greek derby of the season before going on to pull out an 89-94 road win over archrival Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens on Friday night in this week's Rivalry Series game. It's the third straight win for the Reds, while this outcome snaps the Greens' three game winning streak. Both powerhouses now hold a 5-3 record.

Georgios Bartzokas's side led by as many as 13 points on a couple of occasions in the second quarter, but Panathinaikos was clicking on all cylinders offensively in the second half and finally took its first lead, 83-82, with 3:15 to go in the game. But that turned out to be the hosts' only lead as Even Fournier netted three big shots, a total of 8 points in a 2-10 run, to give Olympiacos the victory. 

Fournier finished with 22 points, while Sasha Vezenkov scored all 20 of his points in the first three quarters. Nigel Williams-Goss had 13 points, Nikola Milutinov dominated inside with 12 points and 8 rebounds, while Thomas Walkup dished 11 assists. Kendrick Nunn was the top scorer for Panathinaikos with 20 points, and Mathias Lessort and Juancho Hernangomez scored 13 apiece. Kostas Sloukas had 12 points and 7 assists, while Cedi Osman scored 11 in a losing effort.

Game Videos

Olympiacos took the lead from the get-go, with a triple from Fournier and a pair of fast-break layups from Vezenkov sparking a game-opening 1-11 run. Panathinaikos needed more than 4 minutes for its first field goal, a three-pointer from Nunn. Fournier and Moustapha Fall kept the margin safe, 6-15, but another three from Nunn and his alley-oop connection with Omer Yurtseven cut the margin to a single basket. However, Kostas Papanikolaou answered with a three-pointer and the Reds held a 15-20 advantage after 10 minutes.

Olympiacos scored the first 7 points of the second, with Williams-Goss scoring a three-point play and Milutinov starring inside. A wide-open three from Alec Peters opened a 17-30 margin before Osman made a corner three for the hosts, their first field goal nearly 4 minutes into the second quarter. Goss hit a pair of three-pointers to keep the margin at double figures, 25-38. But Sloukas got the hosts going, scoring 7 points in the rest of the half, including a three-pointer that cut it to 33-38, before Vezenkov's three-point play in the final second before the break set the halftime score at 33-41.

Lessort got himself going early in the third, dunking three times inside the opening 99 seconds of the quarter. Luca Vildoza and Hernangomez traded triples as the offensive fireworks continued. Hernangomez hit another triple that cut it to 49-50, but Vezenkov scored a pair of layups off assists by Walkup. Vildoza and Nunn traded triples, and Fournier added one from downtown to make it 54-60. But Sloukas had a three-point play, before Vezenkov and Konstantinos Mitoglou exchanged downtown shots. Panathinaikos won the quarter 33-30 and the score was 66-71 going into the fourth.

Both offenses did slow down a bit in the final frame. Panathinaikos secured its first offensive rebound to open the fourth, which Osman used to hit a three-pointer. Shaq McKissic nailed a triple to give the Reds some breathing room, but back-to-back three-pointers from Hernangomez and Nunn helped the hosts tie the game at 81-81. Sloukas put Panathinaikos up 83-82 from the free-throw line, but Fournier nailed a three on the other end, followed it up with a tough baseline jumper, then made another triple to open a 85-92 lead and seal the deal.

The Reds beat the Greens for the seventh consecutive time in EuroLeague action

Virtus Bologna recorded its first home victory of the 2024-25 EuroLeague season by defeating Maccabi Tel Aviv BC 84-77 in Round 8.

Virtus grinds out hard-fought win over Maccabi, 84-77

Virtus Segafredo Bologna improved to a 2-6 record in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague after a flowing team effort gave the Italian side an 84-77 win over Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv as five home players finished in double digits, led by Toko Shengelia who netted 16 points.

Virtus center Ante Zizic claimed the player of the game award with easily his best performance of the season, racking up 14 points, 9 boards and 4 steals as he dominated the paint at both ends.

Alessandro Pajola, who returned to action after missing three games through injury, added 10 points including a clutch triple which sealed his team’s win, while Will Clyburn and Isaia Cordinier chipped in with 11 points apiece.

At the other end, Levi Randolph stood out with a game-high 21 points and Rokas Jokubaitis scored 10 for Maccabi, which dropped to 3-5 after being forced into submission down the stretch.

Virtus took charge after an even start, producing a 15-5 run to surge ahead 22-17 at the end of the first quarter after a huge Cordinier dunk galvanized the hosts and their vociferous fans.

Maccabi closed in to 31-30 midway through the second, but Virtus was able to pull away again as Shengelia stepped up and the rest of the team followed in his footsteps, engineering a 45-39 advantage at halftime.

Physical and aggressive defending at both ends made for a low-scoring third quarter, with Randolph carrying Maccabi while the unrelenting Shengelia kept Virtus in the driving seat with some big plays, allowing the home team to take a 60-55 lead into the final 10 minutes.

Maccabi slashed the deficit to 62-61 early in the fourth but was unable to turn the tide as Zizic was everywhere for Virtus, although the visitors again threatened to force the final twist when they narrowed the gap to 80-77 in the home straight.

Pajola then sank an open three and it was lights out for Maccabi, which missed a flurry of shots on its last possession as the home supporters danced in delight on the final buzzer. 

The Italian outfit celebrated its first home win of the season after a titanic tussle with the Israeli giant 