EuroLeague top photos of the week

Codi Miller-McIntyre of Baskonia dribbles past Virtus's Bryant Dunston in the play-in finale. 

Antonius Cleveland completes a fastbreak with a dunk for Maccabi against Baskonia. 

Tadas Sedekerskis and Sander Raiste of Baskonia defend against Virtus's Toko Shengelia. 

Awudu Abass of Virtus Segafredo Bologna completes a two-handed slam against Efes. 

Josh Nebo of Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv denies Baskonia's Maik Kotsar.

Shane Larkin of Efes looks to shoot over Virtus center Ante Zizic.

Markus Howard of Baskonia brings the ball up while Virtus's Toko Shengelia defends. 

Iffe Lundberg of Virtus gets a fadeaway shot off over Efes's Justus Hollatz. 

Wade Baldwin of Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv dunks against Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz.

Justus Hollatz of Anadolu Efes and Virtus's Alessandro Pajola dive for a loose ball.

Look back at all the action from Play-In by checking out the best photos of the week!

The Top 10 photos of the week, Play-In

Real Madrid and Baskonia will face off in the EuroLeague Playoffs, with a spot in the Final Four on the line.

Breakdown: Real Madrid vs. Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz

Real Madrid was the last team to discover its opponent in the [Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Playoffs](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/game-center/), but it now knows that it will take on Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz in a best-of-five series starting on Tuesday.

*Los Blancos* closed the regular season at the top of the standings with a 27-7 record, while Baskonia finished eighth with an 18-16 mark, giving it two shots in the Play-In Showdown. Despite losing heavily on the road to Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv in the first round of the play-in, Dusko Ivanovic’s group responded a few days later by beating Virtus Segafredo Bologna and thus setting up a series with Real Madrid.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="es" dir="ltr">🔝 ¡Una Fase Regular histórica en <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EuroLeague</a>!<br>🙌 27 victorias en 34 partidos<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HalaMadrid?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HalaMadrid</a> <a href="https://t.co/z4HWyHqq8W">pic.twitter.com/z4HWyHqq8W</a></p>&mdash; Real Madrid Basket (@RMBaloncesto) <a href="https://twitter.com/RMBaloncesto/status/1778785143190405590?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 12, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

### Their playoff history

While Real Madrid last failed to make the EuroLeague Playoffs in the 2011-12 season, meaning it has reached the postseason in each of the last 11 campaigns (ignoring the 2019-20 season which was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with Real second in the standings with a 22-6 mark), Baskonia has returned to the playoffs after a five-year absence. The last time that Baskonia fans got to see their team feature in the playoffs was in the 2018-19 season.

To date, Real Madrid has gone 10-6 in its playoff series, which includes a first-round win in 2000-01 before losing in the quarterfinals. Its most recent series defeat coming against Anadolu Efes Istanbul in 2020-21, but since then the Spanish giant has eliminated Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv (2021-22) and Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade (2022-23) on its way to the Final Four. In 60 postseason games in the EuroLeague this century, Real Madrid has posted a 35-25 record and reached the Final Four nine times, winning the championship three times.

A pair of Goliaths from European basketball battle for continental glory as the Reds and Los Blancos square off at Žalgirio arena. These teams boast some of the top players in the competition, but whose talents will come to the fore and secure the ultimate prize?

Olympiacos Piraeus vs Real Madrid - Championship Game - Highlights

For Baskonia, it is a different story. The 2000-01 season saw the Spanish club make it through the first round, the quarterfinals and the semifinals before losing to Virtus Segafredo Bologna in the EuroLeague Finals. It then returned to the championship game in the 2004-05 campaign, when it lost to Maccabi. Including its three series wins in 2000-01, Baskonia has gone 8-8 in its playoff series in the EuroLeague. However, it is 1-7 over its last eight series. Since the introduction of the Final Four format in 2002, the team from Vitoria-Gasteiz has made it to the Final Four five times: in four straight seasons between 2005 and 2008, then in 2015-16. Through 63 postseason games, Baskonia has a 29-34 record.

Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz - CSKA Moscow Highlights | 2018-19 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague PO Game 4

Facing a domestic opponent often adds another sense of intrigue to a playoff series, so how have Real Madrid and Baskonia done when they’ve faced a fellow Spanish foe in the EuroLeague Playoffs? Real Madrid has come up against Spanish opposition three times in the playoffs, winning one series and losing twice. FC Barcelona twice defeated *Los Blancos* 3-1 in playoff series, doing so in 2005-06 and 2009-10, while Real Madrid downed Valencia Basket 3-2 in 2010-11. Baskonia has only faced a Spanish team once in the EuroLeague Playoffs, losing 3-2 to Barcelona in 2008-09.

### Real Madrid, Baskonia full of confidence

Real Madrid went 22-4 through the first 26 rounds of the regular season, but a three-game winning streak between Round 27 and 29 caused some to wonder if Chus Mateo’s squad might be fading at just the wrong time. However, a 5-1 end to the regular season resulted in *Los Blancos* quietening those doubts. Baskonia, meanwhile, got two big road wins to close the regular season and then responded to its first-round play-in loss to Maccabi by stepping up to beat Virtus on Friday night.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="es" dir="ltr">🤗 Y SÍ, ¡VOLVEMOS al PLAYOFF de <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EuroLeague</a> !<br><br>Segi dezagun ametsetan 💙❤️<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GoazenBaskonia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GoazenBaskonia</a> 🗞️ <a href="https://t.co/FqCCd0ox7c">https://t.co/FqCCd0ox7c</a> <a href="https://t.co/S718MpusJ6">pic.twitter.com/S718MpusJ6</a></p>&mdash; Baskonia (@Baskonia) <a href="https://twitter.com/Baskonia/status/1781662348803260615?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 20, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

However, that one defeat for Real Madrid – and one of those road wins for Baskonia – came at WiZink Center as Coach Ivanovic’s men grabbed a 91-95 win against the reigning champs. Markus Howard tied his career high in points by dropping 35 on *Los Blancos*, and he’s coming off a game against Virtus in which he hit 8 three-pointers, including 4 in the third quarter to help Baskonia pull away. That win over Virtus and its recent triumph in the Spanish capital should mean that Baskonia comes into this series with a no-fear approach.

Los Blancos has already set a record for the most regular season victories and they aim for a fifth after Dzanan Musa inspired a triumph versus Zvezda, whereas Baskonia have stumbled via three straight losses and bid to avenge an opening night loss to Real after Markus Howard missed on the buzzer.

Real Madrid-Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz | Round 33 Highlights | 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

In fact, Baskonia holds a 10-8 advantage over Real Madrid in the all-time series between these two, and it has won on its last two trips to WiZink Center in the EuroLeague, having also secured an 81-85 triumph there in 2022-23. Baskonia has gone 3-1 against the reigning EuroLeague champion over the last two seasons, but the winning margin in those four games has never been more than six points: 92-86 and 81-85 to Baskonia in 2022-23, then 77-79 to Real Madrid and 91-95 to Baskonia in 2023-24.

Real Madrid and Baskonia know each other inside out, but it should be fascinating to see how the series develops. Make sure to catch all the action on EuroLeague TV, starting on Tuesday night at 21:00 CEST.

The domestic rivals will face off knowing that a Final Four spot is on the line

Markus Howard could not be stopped on Friday night as Baskonia beat Virtus Bologna 89-77 in the Play-In Showdown.

Markus Howard caught lightning in a bottle against Virtus – and not for the first time

Virtus Segafredo Bologna probably can’t stand the sight of Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz superstar [Markus Howard](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/markus-howard/011948/).

One week after dropping 34 points on the Italian team [in a 91-95 road win](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/live-blog-virtus-bologna-vs-baskonia/) to lock up the eighth seed, thus condemning Virtus to 10th spot, the American guard propelled his squad to [an 89-77 victory in the Play-In Showdown](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/baskonia-knocks-out-virtus-89-77-in-the-final-play-in-game/) by notching 28 points to set up a series with first-placed Real Madrid in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Playoffs.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Gave the phone to <a href="https://twitter.com/markushoward11?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@markushoward11</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Baskonia?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Baskonia</a> <a href="https://t.co/7zJ56Hk0nm">pic.twitter.com/7zJ56Hk0nm</a></p>&mdash; Turkish Airlines EuroLeague (@EuroLeague) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague/status/1781418908760891435?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 19, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

By his standards, Howard started Friday night’s win-or-go-home clash in relatively quiet fashion, scoring 5 points in the first quarter and another 6 in the second, giving him 11 points after shooting 0 for 3 from two-point range, 3 for 9 from deep and 2 for 2 from the free-throw line. At halftime, it was a tied ballgame, with Baskonia and Virtus level at 41-41.

### A memorable third quarter

The break seemed to do Howard wonders, though, as he reloaded his clip and kept firing away in the third quarter. Despite going 3 for 12 from the field through the first 20 minutes, Howard hit back-to-back threes to put Baskonia 49-43 ahead early in the period, before replicating the same feat later in the quarter. When his third and fourth triples of the third quarter dropped, Baskonia took a 60-47 and then 63-47 lead as it took control of the contest.

It wasn’t just the fact that Howard’s shots were dropping; his makes were demoralizing the Virtus players. He was typically being guarded by either [Daniel Hackett](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/daniel-hackett/001844/), [Isaia Cordinier](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/isaia-cordinier/009549/) or [Awudu Abass](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/awudu-abass/003527/), yet he ended up giving them the runaround, constantly repositioning himself on the floor and getting up three-point shots without hesitation. Entering the fourth quarter, Howard had moved to 25 points – going 1 for 7 on twos, 7 for 15 on threes and 2 for 2 on the line – and Baskonia held a 72-57 advantage.

From there on out, Baskonia simply had to see the win over the line, with Howard having ripped the heart out of Virtus. The closest the visitors ever got in the fourth was reducing the gap to 10 points (87-77 with 1:30 remaining), but it was too late as the hosts came away with an 89-77 triumph.

Markus Howard scored 8 three-pointers as Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz beat Virtus Segafredo Bologna in the Play-In Showdown.

Howard's 8 made threes vs. Virtus

The 10,143-strong crowd inside Buesa Arena certainly played their part, too, as they went wild after every big make from a Baskonia player. However, the decibel levels probably reached their peak after Howard made it 63-47 with a bomb from downtown. Speaking afterward, the 25-year-old was appreciative of the support he and his teammates received from the Baskonia supporters.

“We’re just so happy for our fans, they deserve it,” said Howard. “They’ve been with us the entire season, so for us to continue playing at such a high level against high-level competition, we’re happy for our fans, we’re happy for ourselves, but we’ve still got a lot to look forward to. We’re playing the No 1 team in \[Real\] Madrid, so we’re fortunate, but we’re not satisfied.”

Baskonia star Markus Howard comments on his team's Play-In Showdown win over Virtus which came with a spot in the playoffs.

Markus Howard: 'We're fortunate, but we're not satistfied'

### A historic night

Come the final buzzer, Howard had tied his career-best mark with 8 made triples, one off the all-time playoff record set by [ex-Baskonia man Saulius Stombergas in a 65-90 triumph at AEK Athens](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/stats/db/E2000/162/#boxscore) on April 4, 2001, while he also set a new EuroLeague playoff record by attempting 19 three-point shots. As a team, Baskonia’s 16 made shots from beyond the arc were the second most in a playoff game, one shy of the 17 [Anadolu Efes Istanbul converted in an 80-71 win against FC Barcelona](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2018-19/anadolu-efes-istanbul-fc-barcelona-lassa/E2018/256/) on May 1, 2019.

Having finished with 28 points, going 1 for 7 on twos, 8 for 19 on threes and 2 for 2 from the line, Howard’s fingerprints were all over Friday’s night’s must-win game. Yet, his 11 PIR would suggest that other players had a more positive impact; four of his Baskonia teammates had a PIR of 12 or more – [Tadas Sedekerskis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/tadas-sedekerskis/007230/) (25 PIR), [Matt Costello](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/matthew-costello/010444/) (23 PIR), [Codi Miller-McIntyre](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/codi-miller-mcintyre/009048/) (16 PIR) and [Maik Kotsar](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/maik-kotsar/004603/) (12 PIR).

The thing with PIR and a player like Howard is that his ability to heat up goes against the metrics that go into determining a player’s PIR. He almost never shies away from trying his luck, even when he has multiple defenders in his face, and every now and then he will catch lightning in a bottle to almost single-handedly lead his team to victory.

There has been plenty of talk about whom the best scorer is in the EuroLeague, particularly after [Nigel Hayes-Davis broke the single-game scoring record with a 50-point night](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/nigel-hayes-davis-sets-euroleague-single-game-scoring-record-with-50-points/) for Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul against ALBA Berlin in Round 32, but Howard’s teammate, [Chima Moneke](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/chima-moneke/012201/), perhaps said it best after the Spanish side’s win at Virtus in Round 34: “Markus Howard, the best scorer in Europe. Everyone was talking about a few names and nobody mentioned him. The things that he does on the court, nobody does it in the world.”

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="es" dir="ltr">Grítalo a los cuatro vientos: ESTAMOS EN EL PLAYOFF 🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️ <a href="https://t.co/At2CTAgdwQ">pic.twitter.com/At2CTAgdwQ</a></p>&mdash; Baskonia (@Baskonia) <a href="https://twitter.com/Baskonia/status/1781426617744593048?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 19, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

### Confidence ahead of Real Madrid series

Baskonia fans would certainly echo that sentiment. It is incredibly impressive how Baskonia is a team transformed in those moments when Howard gets hot as he feels like he can make any shot. One team that will be particularly aware of what Howard can do is Real Madrid, Baskonia’s opponent in the EuroLeague Playoffs, as they have come up against him in both EuroLeague and Spanish League play.

However, Howard is confident about Baskonia’s chances, despite being the massive underdog in the 1-8 matchup against the reigning champion.

“I think we can go far,” he commented on Friday night. “I think we’re just hitting our stride – we’re finding how to win games, tough games especially, so that’s the thing. We’re still waiting to play our best basketball, so we’re excited.”

It was only in Round 33 that Howard erupted for a joint career-high 35 points at Real Madrid’s home, WiZink Center, [in a 91-95 win](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/live-blog-real-madrid-baloncesto-vs-baskonia-vitoria-gasteiz/) – and the series will get underway in the Spanish capital on Tuesday night. The good times are back for Baskonia, which is back in the playoffs after a five-year absence, and it largely has Howard to thank.

Game News

Markus Howard of Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz celebrates with the fans after his team's win against Virtus Segafredo Bologna in the Play-In Showdown.

The score-first guard haunted the Italian side for the second time in the space of a week

Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz v Virtus Segafredo Bologna (2024-04-18T22:00:00.000Z)

A dominant showing in the first round of the EuroLeague’s Play-In Showdown has seen Maccabi Tel Aviv guard Lorenzo Brown achieve play-in MVP honors.

Play-in MVP: Lorenzo Brown, Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv

A dominant showing in the first round of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague’s Play-In Showdown has seen Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv guard [Lorenzo Brown](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/lorenzo-brown/009622/) achieve play-in MVP honors.

Brown amassed a season-high 35 PIR as Maccabi [thrashed Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz 113-85](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/maccabi-routs-baskonia-113-85-to-advance-to-playoffs/), which saw the Israeli lock up the seventh seed in the EuroLeague Playoffs. The 33-year-old guard posted a season-best 29 points on a career-high 7 made three-pointers, in addition to recording 5 assists, 5 rebounds and 1 steal. Brown’s 29 points and 7 made triples are new postseason highs for Maccabi. This is Brown’s third MVP award in 156 EuroLeague games over a five-season period.

A dominant showing in the first round of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague’s Play-In Showdown has seen Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv guard Lorenzo Brown achieve play-in MVP honors.

Lorenzo Brown | Play-In MVP | 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

Coming in second place is [Codi Miller-McIntyre](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/codi-miller-mcintyre/009048/), who tied a EuroLeague postseason high by having a 45 PIR in Baskonia’s drubbing at Maccabi. The first-year guard set a new personal best in scoring by netting 32 points, as well as having 8 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 steals and 1 block. 

In third place in the play-in MVP race is [Tadas Sedekerskis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/tadas-sedekerskis/007230/), also of Baskonia, as he achieved a 25 PIR during his team’s [89-77 second-round win against Virtus Segafredo Bologna](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/baskonia-knocks-out-virtus-89-77-in-the-final-play-in-game/). The Lithuania international had 16 points, of which 11 came in the first quarter, 7 rebounds and 1 assist in a game-high 35:45 minutes on the floor. 

[Matt Costello](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/matthew-costello/010444/) was another player who shined for Baskonia against Virtus, recording 19 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 1 block and a 23 PIR. 

Last but not least, Maccabi’s [Wade Baldwin](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/wade-baldwin-iv/009863/) had a 22 PIR in his side’s win at home to Baskonia after scoring 26 points, grabbing 1 rebound and dishing 5 assists.

Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv v Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz (2024-04-16T17:00:00.000Z)

Despite being without power forward Chima Moneke, Baskonia had Tadas Sedekerskis, Nikos Rogkavopoulos and Matt Costello all come to the fore in a crucial win against Virtus Bologna.

Battling Baskonia compensated for Chima Moneke’s absence 

Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz was dealt a massive blow when [Chima Moneke](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/chima-moneke/012201/), one of the team’s pillars, was ruled out of his team’s decisive play-in clash against Virtus Segafredo Bologna with an ankle injury. However, the Spanish side dealt with it superbly to [win the crunch contest 89-77](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/baskonia-knocks-out-virtus-89-77-in-the-final-play-in-game/) and reach the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Playoffs, having booked a mouth-watering clash with top-seeded Real Madrid.

Moneke, who has averaged 13.6 points and 6.6 rebounds this season, twisted his left ankle during Baskonia’s 113-85 drubbing at the hands of Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv in the first round of the Play-In Showdown, with head coach Dusko Ivanovic confirming after the loss that the big man would be unavailable for the do-or-die game at home to Virtus.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="es" dir="ltr">NUESTROS GUERREROS 💥💥💥💥 <a href="https://t.co/OaZfahzhbi">pic.twitter.com/OaZfahzhbi</a></p>&mdash; Baskonia (@Baskonia) <a href="https://twitter.com/Baskonia/status/1781424159970456048?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 19, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Prolific guard [Markus Howard](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/markus-howard/011948/) led the scoring charge against Virtus with a game-high 28 points, but it was the secondary unit that made light of Moneke’s absence with effervescent performances which allowed Baskonia to dominate in every department.

### A captain’s performance

With Howard making a jittery start, captain [Tadas Sedekerskis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/tadas-sedekerskis/007230/) got the home team going as he scored Baskonia’s opening 9 points and totaled 11 in the first quarter. Even more importantly, he made his presence felt all over as he played outstanding defense, being the glue that held it all together as he spent a game-high 35:45 minutes on the court.

Sedekerskis, who amassed 16 points and 7 rebounds after shooting 6 of 8 from the floor, earned the player of the game accolade for his immense contribution and he was understandably elated after Baskonia clinched a long-awaited berth in the business end of the competition.

“I’ve been here for 11 years, I am the team captain and this game was special for me because we hadn’t made the playoffs for several years,” the 26-year-old Lithuanian forward said in his post-game comments. “We’re so happy because we know it’s super-important for the city and the fans.”

Baskonia captain Tadas Sedekerskis comments on his team's Play-In Showdown win over Virtus which came with a spot in the playoffs.

Tadas Sedekerskis: 'We want more'

### Costello and Rogkavopoulos stepped up, too

Big man [Matt Costello](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/matthew-costello/010444/) also came up big with 19 points and 5 rebounds, having nailed 3 crucial shots from downtown while he also kept counterpart [Toko Shengelia](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/tornike-shengelia/001133/) subdued for the lion’s share of the contest.

Costello’s effort was complemented by that of [Nikos Rogkavopoulos](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/nikolaos-rogkavopoulos/011085/), the silent water who runs deep. The Greek power forward undermined any attempt by Virtus to get back into the game after Baskonia had carved out a 72-57 lead at the end of the third quarter.

With Moneke watching from the sidelines, Rogkavopoulos amassed 9 points and 7 rebounds as Baskonia racked up a total of 37 boards, 15 of them on the offensive end. Howard heaped praise on his teammates after they were treated to a standing ovation at the final buzzer by Baskonia’s joyous home crowd.

Tadas Sedekerskis, Nikos Rogkavopoulos and Matt Costello all had impressive nights as Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz beat Virtus Segafredo Bologna to reach the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Playoffs.

Baskonia's big men stepped up vs. Virtus

“We’re just so happy for our fans, they deserve it because they’ve been with us the entire season,” said Howard. “Our energy was the key tonight, the group that started as well as the guys who came off the bench. We are just hitting our stride and we’re still waiting to play our best basketball.”

Following a shock 64-67 win at Anadolu Efes Istanbul in the first play-in round, Virtus might have had high hopes of staging another upset upon the news that Moneke would be sidelined.

The Italian side, which had punched above its weight during the regular season longer than most pundits had expected, saw its campaign end in an anti-climax as a 2-8 run in the home stretch robbed it of a direct playoff berth and confined it to the play-in.

Virtus overpowered Efes as the Italian side briefly rekindled the kind of form which saw it emerge as the surprise package of the season early on, but beating Baskonia turned out to be a tall order, despite Moneke being reduced to a mere spectator. 

Nikos Rogkavopoulos of Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz was one of the players who stepped up during his team's Play-In Showdown victory against Virtus Segafredo Bologna.

A fine team effort coupled with Markus Howard’s shooting prowess made up for missing the influential power forward

Now that the eight teams competing in the EuroLeague Playoffs are known, it is time to make your picks for the rest of the season in the EuroLeague Bracket Challenge. 

It's EuroLeague Bracket Challenge time!

Now that the eight teams competing in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Playoffs are known, it is time to make your picks for the rest of the season in the [EuroLeague Bracket Challenge](https://bracket.euroleague.net/en/v2/). Test your skill by prognosticating every game for the rest of the season from the four playoff series through the Final Four.

Time is short, so act now! The deadline to submit brackets is Tuesday, April 23 at 18:59 CET, which is precisely one minute before the first playoff game of the season, between Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens and Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv, tips off.

Participants will receive points for every game they predict correctly from now until a champion is crowned at the Final Four in Berlin. The brackets with the most points will earn prizes, with an especially valuable grand prize: a pair of tickets to the 2025 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four!

Make [your bracke](https://bracket.euroleague.net/en/v2/)t now!

Baskonia leaned on its three-point shooting and playmaking to defeat Virtus Bologna 89-77 in the second round of the EuroLeague's Play-In Showdown.

Baskonia's offense doubled Virtus in the key categories

Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz flirted with several postseason records on Friday night as it enjoyed an emphatic offensive performance during [its 89-77 triumph over the visiting Virtus Segafredo Bologna](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/baskonia-knocks-out-virtus-89-77-in-the-final-play-in-game/) in the final game of the Play-In Showdown.

Scoring 89 points might not blow you away, but Baskonia did so by netting 16 triples – just one triple made shy of a postseason EuroLeague record – and dishing 22 assists. Both of those marks are also double the amount that Virtus had in this game, as the visitors finished the night with just 8 threes and 11 assists in its season finale.

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The stage is set✔️<br><br>It&#39;s Playoffs time in the EuroLeague🤩<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EveryGameMatters?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EveryGameMatters</a> <a href="https://t.co/BXnmUTVzxz">pic.twitter.com/BXnmUTVzxz</a></p>&mdash; Turkish Airlines EuroLeague (@EuroLeague) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague/status/1781422497226801288?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 19, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

By pushing up the tempo and not shying away from getting shots up in transition, Baskonia built its lead by making shots from downtown. What was unique, however, was that just five Baskonia players hit a triple on Friday night.

### Living and dying by threes

[Markus Howard](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/markus-howard/011948/) drained 8 three-pointers, half of all Baskonia's entire total and the same figure as the entire Virtus team. Howard also came one triple shy of a EuroLeague postseason record, held by Saulius Stomebergas. Howard got to that number by firing away 19 shots from behind the arc, a new EuroLeague postseason record and tied for the second-most three-point attempts in competition history.

The home team had 39 attempts from distance, making 41% of its threes. The other four Baskonia players who struck from long range were [Tadas Sedekerskis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/tadas-sedekerskis/007230/) (3 for 4), [Matt Costello](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/matthew-costello/010444/) (3 for 6), [Vanja Marinkovic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/vanja-marinkovic/004761/) (1 for 2) and [Nikos Rogkavopoulos](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/nikolaos-rogkavopoulos/011085/) (1 for 4).

Baskonia used 39 attempts to net 16 triples, which is just 1 triple made shy of a postseason EuroLeague record,

Baskonia made 16 threes againt Virtus

When it came to assists, [Codi Miller-McIntyre](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/codi-miller-mcintyre/009048/) led the way with 8 helpers, while center [Maik Kotsar](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/maik-kotsar/004603/) dished 5 assists. The two of them had combined for more assists than the entire visiting team.

But Baskonia didn't only do better than Virtus when it came to threes and assists.

Baskonia also outrebounded the visitors on the offensive glass, grabbing 15 offensive boards to Virtus's 10. The hosts committed 11 turnovers, too, while forcing 16 by the visiting team.

All those numbers together resulted in Baskonia comfortably closing out a do-or-die game and booking its first playoff ticket since 2019, with its best-of-five series against Real Madrid set to get underway on Tuesday night. 

Markus Howard of Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz is guarded by Toko Shengelia of Virtus Segafredo Bologna in their Play-In Showdown matchup.

The Spanish side dominated on the offensive end as it returned to the EuroLeague Playoffs for the first time since 2019

Baskonia has reached the EuroLeague Playoffs after beating Virtus Bologna 89-77 in the final game of the Play-In Showdown.

Baskonia knocks out Virtus, 89-77, in the final play-in game

Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz romped to a resounding 89-77 home win over Virtus Segafredo Bologna in their decisive play-in clash on Friday, sealing a playoff berth and a best-of-five showdown against defending champs Real Madrid.

[Markus Howard](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/markus-howard/011948/) paced Baskonia with a game-high 28 points, having set a new post-season record of 19 three-point shots attempted. Howard made 8 of those 19 from downtown and just 1 of 7 from two-point range, but he sank some clutch shots which propelled Baskonia to a massive 15-point lead at the end of the third quarter.

[Matt Costello](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/matthew-costello/010444/) chipped in with 19 points for the hosts and [Tadas Sedekerskis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/tadas-sedekerskis/007230/) added 16 to go with 7 rebounds, having scored 11 points in the first quarter when most of his teammates struggled on the offensive end. [Toko Shengelia](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/tornike-shengelia/001133/) led Virtus with 16 points and 7 rebounds, [Daniel Hackett](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/daniel-hackett/001844/) scored 13 points while [Marco Belinelli](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/marco-belinelli/bcn/), [Iffe Lundberg](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/iffe-lundberg/010781/) and [Isaia Cordinier](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/isaia-cordinier/009549/) netted 10 each for the visitors.

[FULL PLAYOFFS SCHEDULE](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/game-center/?round=41&season=E2023)

Game Videos

Sedekerskis scored the opening 9 points for Baskonia and Belinelli replied with 8 in a row for Virtus in a fast-paced start to the game, with both sides inviting long-range shots from the opposition by cramming their own paint.

The home side carved out a 19-14 lead but a 2-8 run by the visitors turned the tide at the end of the opening period, setting the stage for a captivating see-saw battle in the second quarter. With Sedekerskis subdued following his rip-roaring start to the contest, Howard and Costello kept Baskonia going and the rivals were tied 41-41 at halftime. Virtus racked up more rebounds (20-15) but also struggled to take care of the ball as the Italian side committed 9 turnovers while dishing out a mere 6 assists in the first half.

In contrast, Baskonia had 10 assists and just 2 turnovers in the opening two quarters and that trend continued in the third, when the home team produced a decisive 12-0 streak early on. Howard was instrumental in it with a pair of three-pointers and the livewire guard kept firing on all cylinders, netting a total of 14 points in the third quarter as Baskonia romped away into a 72-57 lead ahead of the final 10 minutes.

Virtus tried to launch a fightback in the fourth but roared on by its fervent fans inside Buesa Arena, Baskonia held firm as the Spanish side bounced back emphatically from [its 113-85 blowout defeat at Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/maccabi-routs-baskonia-113-85-to-advance-to-playoffs/) in the first round of the play-in.

There is little doubt that having made the playoffs, Baskonia will now head confidently into the clash with Real after beating the champs 91-95 in Round 33 of the regular season.

Codi Miller-McIntyre of Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz looks to get past Bryant Dunston of Virtus Segafredo Bologna in the second round of the Play-In Showdown.

Dusko Ivanovic's men will take on Real Madrid in the EuroLeague Playoffs

Euroleague Basketball has released the list of 28 referees who will eligible to officiate during the upcoming postseason phases of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague.

List of Turkish Airlines EuroLeague postseason referees announced

The postseason is set to begin on Tuesday, April 16 with the new Play-In Showdown and continue until potential Game 5s in the EuroLeague Playoffs on Wednesday, May 8.

Daniel Hierrezuelo, the Euroleague Basketball Officiating Director, chose the referees who will work both phases based on their performance during the 34-game regular season and the vast experience of the group's members.

The 28 referees come from 15 different countries and have a combined 408 seasons' worth of experience in Euroleague Basketball competitions this century. Of the group, 24 have previous EuroLeague Playoffs experience. Four of them – Jordi Aliaga, Ioannis Foufis, Rain Peerand and Arturas Sukys – will be making their playoffs debuts.

See the full list below.