Fantasy Challenge Podcast: Who is your play-in captain?

Do-or-die games? Only four teams to choose from? What should we do? Well, [EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge](https://euroleaguefantasy.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/home) managers, Javier Gancedo and Frankie Sachs are here to help you through the Play-In Showdown. The co-hosts of the EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge Podcast will breakdown the games, share some tips and guide you toward fantasy success!

Any move could be the difference between domination and disaster, so you must choose wisely from captain to bench. Who are the best centers in the Play-In Showdown? Is Shane Larkin a must-own player? Is Lorenzo Brown worth the gamble? Gancedo and Sachs tackle these topics and much more. Listen to episode No. 31 of the podcast now to prepare for the play-in games the best way possible.  

Keep up with the game dates and tipoff times of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Playoffs and be sure to watch on EuroLeague TV!

2024 Playoffs schedule unveiled  

The 2024 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Playoffs will open up in the Greek capital next week! [The times and dates for the first week of playoff games have been confirmed](https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/276de87c-99dc-4283-94fb-0d689e208b11.pdf), even as we await the last two playoff qualifiers to be decided via the inaugural Play-In Showdown this week.

The top two teams from the regular season, Real Madrid and Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens, will play Games 1 and 2 of their series on Tuesday, April 23 and Thursday, April 25. The Greens will host Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv, who won the first Play-In Showdown game, at 19.30 CET on Tuesday and again at 20:15 CET on Thursday. *Los Blancos*’ first two playoff games will tip at 21:00 CET. Real will face Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz.

The other two playoff series will be played on Wednesday, April 24 and Friday, April 26. AS Monaco’s two home games against Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul will begin at 19:00 CET. The first two games between FC Barcelona and Olympiacos Piraeus are set for 21:00 CET.

All the road teams from the first week of the playoffs will get to host at least one game in the second.

On Tuesday, April 30, Maccabi welcomes Panathinaikos to Belgrade for Game 3 of their series, to tip off at 19:00 CET, while Olympiacos hosts Barcelona at 20:30 CET.

On Wednesday, May 1, it's Fenerbahce vs. Monaco at 19:45 CET while Baskonia will face visiting Real at 20:30 CET.

Should there be no sweeps, the Game 4 schedules shows Olympiacos vs. Barcelona at 18:45 CET on Thursday, May 2, to be followed by Maccabi vs. Panathinaikos at 20:45 CET.

Game 4 of Fenerbache vs. Monaco would be on Thursday, May 3, at 19:45 CET with Baskonia or Virtus vs. Real at 20:30 CET the same night.

If one or more series were to reach Game 5, those dates and times will be decided at a later date.

[CHECK THE FULL PLAYOFFS SCHEDULE](https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/276de87c-99dc-4283-94fb-0d689e208b11.pdf)

2024 EuroLeague Playoffs schedule unveiled  

Iffe Lundberg, Virtus: 'It's very easy to play for coach Banchi'

Combo guard [Iffe Lundberg](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/iffe-lundberg/010781/) has gone through radical changes in his status at Virtus Segafredo Bologna when comparing last season to this current campaign.

 

In 2022-23, under head coach Sergio Scariolo, the 29-year-old seemed unable to find his place as he was struggling with what was asked of him. When Luca Banchi came in as Virtus boss just before the 2023-24 season, he saw a different potential in Lundberg and put it to use immediately.

 

"It's very easy to play for Coach Banchi, let's me put it that way," Lundberg says. "Once there's trust, it's always easier to go out and perform."

 

In his second season at Virtus, Lundberg is averaging 9.3 points, 1.9 rebounds and 1.8 assists in almost 19 minutes on the court as a player coming off the bench.

 

"When I took over the team, the player was out of the roster," Coach Banchi explains. "Iffe is an important pillar into our system. He has very specific basketball skills."

 

Lundberg has been the protagonist for Virtus on many occasions this season, particularly in late-game situations, and he will now have to prove he is a staple in the team when the Italian side travels to face Anadolu Efes Istanbul in the Play-In Showdown on Tuesday night.

 

"He already proved he has the personality to take responsibilities and initiatives," Banchi concludes. "And that's a good role in every team, not only in Bologna."

Iffe Lundberg, Virtus : 'It's very easy to play for Coach Banchi'

The Denmark international has enjoyed a key role for his team this season

Tomislav Mijatovic has led Anadolu Efes to an 8-2 record since he became head coach, which has helped the team secure a spot in the EuroLeague's Play-In Showdown.

Anadolu Efes has hit top gear at just the right time

The best teams tend to be playing their best basketball when March and April arrive, and that’s undoubtedly the case for Anadolu Efes Istanbul, which has gone 6-1 in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague since the start of March.

In fact, just 10 weeks and 10 rounds ago, as the journalist Donatas Urbonas pointed out on Thursday night, Efes was languishing in 16th place in the EuroLeague standings with a 9-15 record after a heavy defeat at Zalgiris Kaunas. That loss proved to be the end for head coach Erdem Can, with Tomislav Mijatovic, the long-time assistant coach, being promoted to the role until the end of the season.

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Here&#39;s how EuroLeague standings looked 10 weeks &amp; 10 rounds ago after Efes’ 26-point L to Zalgiris. <br><br>Efes finished 7-2 &amp; moved up to the Top 10 to sneak into the Play-In. After turning things around, now they&#39;re a team top seeds definitely would want to avoid in the playoffs. <a href="https://t.co/hPvSVXoa7H">pic.twitter.com/hPvSVXoa7H</a></p>&mdash; Donatas Urbonas (@Urbodo) <a href="https://twitter.com/Urbodo/status/1778502429375406357?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 11, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

That decision has proven to be a masterstroke by Efes’s front office as Coach Mijatovic has transformed the team, going 8-2 in the EuroLeague since taking charge and, on Thursday night, booking the club’s postseason ticket with [a dominant 100-55 win in Round 34 against Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/live-blog-anadolu-efes-vs-kk-crvena-zvezda/).

### Confidence from the club

Even when Mijatovic tasted defeat for the second time in his first five games, losing 84-80 to an LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne side that knew postseason basketball was beyond its reach, the Efes hierarchy stayed calm. Efes has responded to that setback in perfect fashion, putting together a five-game winning streak to close the regular season and enter the Play-In Showdown as one of the hottest teams in the league.

“There’s 15 or 16 of those guys \[on the roster\] who never stopped believing,” Coach Mijatovic commented in the post-game press conference after beating Zvezda. “I also underlined many, many times that the support we are getting from within the club – from the president to our GM to everybody that works with us – has been felt every time.

“We lost a bad game \[at ASVEL\]. We had a bump in the road. Nobody stopped believing, everybody kept pushing, everybody kept believing. Therefore, what these guys around us are doing makes all of our jobs that much easier. \[That allows us to be\] much more focused on the floor.”

Four straight victories has sustained Efes' hopes and if they can extend that streak to five, they'll guarantee a place in the play-in, but their obstacle is a Zvezda outfit that will finish the season 16th, win or lose, after losing eight of their last nine outings in what's been a disappointing conclusion to the campaign.

Anadolu Efes Istanbul-Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade | Round 34 Highlights | 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

One of the trademarks of Mijatovic in his 10-game tenure as Efes boss has been his positivity, be that with his players, those who work inside the club or with the fans.

“Sincere congratulations from the locker room to everybody in our organization and a special thanks to our Sinan Erdem \[Sports Hall\] crowd,” he noted. “Even though it’s \[a public holiday for Eid al-Fitr\], even though people are out of Istanbul, you saw 14,000 in Sinan Erdem \[Sports Hall\] again, almost full.

“This is something that Efes draws and Efes means to the people. We have a need to repay all of these guys for their belief, for their trust, for their love on a daily basis. That’s what we’re trying to do and inshallah we’ll continue to do that.”

The heroes of recent weeks have been [Shane Larkin](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/shane-larkin/007200/) and [Will Clyburn](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/will-clyburn/004888/), yet Efes’s star duo combined for just 11 points against Zvezda. It proved to not be an issue, however, as Efes got 54 points from its bench trio of [Elijah Bryant](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/elijah-bryant/009846/), [Derek Willis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/derek-willis/009664/) and [Dan Oturu](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/dan-oturu/012788/). That has been a common theme for the Turkish side in recent weeks, with a number of contributors stepping up to the plate on a night-by-night basis.

When asked for the key to Efes’s five-game winning run, Bryant kept it short and sweet: “I think just a next-player-up mentality and Coach having confidence in us, allowing us to play our game and everyone thriving in the system.”

It certainly seems as though Efes is playing with the shackles removed and that is breeding confidence as a result. Curiously, of the four teams Mijatovic’s Efes has faced that will be playing postseason basketball, it is a perfect 4-0.

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="tr" dir="ltr">Koç Tomislav Mijatovic&#39;in Play-In konuşması!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BenimYerimBuras%C4%B1?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BenimYerimBurası</a> <a href="https://t.co/sGUFL5KE9C">pic.twitter.com/sGUFL5KE9C</a></p>&mdash; Anadolu Efes SK (@AnadoluEfesSK) <a href="https://twitter.com/AnadoluEfesSK/status/1778515884866445792?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 11, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

### The heart of a champion

There are still a few at Efes who tasted EuroLeague glory with Efes, either in 2021, 2022 or in both years – Mijatovic himself, as well as Larkin, [Tibor Pleiss](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/tibor-pleiss/lhk/), [Rodrigue Beaubois](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/rodrigue-beaubois/006590/) and Bryant – so this team should never be counted out.

“With the help of our tremendous fans, we need to continue to stay humble and work hard game by game to reach our second step phase, which is the first game of the play-in,” noted Efes’s 44-year-old head coach.

Well, a home game against either Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz or Virtus Segafredo Bologna awaits – and neither side will look forward to that trip to Istanbul. There’s not a team in the EuroLeague that would be happy to face Efes right now, and that’s a lot to do with the excellent work put in by Coach Mijatovic and the players over the last couple of months.

The odds are against Efes going as far as the Final Four, but stranger things have happened. One thing’s for certain: for a group that is playing with this much confidence, the sky really is the limit.

Game News

Tomica Mijatovic reacts after Anadolu Efes Istanbul beat Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade in Round 34 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.

No team will relish facing Tomislav Mijatovic’s squad at the moment

Efes has hit top gear at just the right time

Anadolu Efes Istanbul v Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade (2024-04-11T17:30:00.000Z)

The Play-In Showdown debuts on Tuesday with one winning team advancing to the playoffs while one loser will be eliminated. Here’s how it will all unfold. 

Play-In Showdown at a glance

[Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv vs. Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz ](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/game-center/2023-24/maccabi-playtika-tel-aviv-baskonia-vitoria-gasteiz/E2023/307/)

Maccabi and Baskonia go head-to-head in Belgrade with the winner advancing directly to a playoff series with Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens. Both teams finished the regular season strong, with Maccabi winning seven of its last eight games behind an explosive offense that averaged 92 points during that run. Baskonia is coming on the back of outstanding road triumphs at Real Madrid and Virtus Segafredo Bologna, also earned through stellar offense with 95 points scored in both games.

The backcourt will feature a shootout between the players ranked first and third in scoring during the regular season, with Baskonia’s [Markus Howard](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/markus-howard/011948/) (19.4 points per game) facing [Wade Baldwin](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/wade-baldwin-iv/009863/) (17.7 ppg). The Spanish team also possesses the regular season’s leader in assists, [Codi Miller-McIntyre](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/codi-miller-mcintyre/009048/) (7.2 assists per game), who will look to control the tempo against third-ranked distributor [Lorenzo Brown](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/lorenzo-brown/009622/) (6.2 apg).

The battle in the paint will be just as fierce, with Maccabi boasting the league’s top rebounder, [Josh Nebo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/josh-nebo/011199/) (7.3 boards per game). He will face a tough challenge against the Baskonia duo of [Tadas Sedekerskis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/tadas-sedekerskis/007230/) and [Chima Moneke](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/chima-moneke/012201/), who ranked third and fifth in rebounding, respectively, with 6.8 and 6.7 per night.

Both regular-season meetings were won by the home team, with Maccabi prevailing 89-81 in Belgrade in December led by 17 points and 11 rebounds from Nebo. But that will count for very little on Tuesday in what promises to be a fast-paced and high-scoring thriller.

Maccabi has scored a minimum of 90 in four consecutive outings, with Lorenzo Brown's creativity and the Bonzie Colson's skill proving a tough combination, whereas Baskonia also boast depth with Markus Howard's long-range shooting complementing the prowess of Tadas Sedekerskis and Chima Moneke.

Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv-Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz | Round 15 Highlights | 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

[Anadolu Efes Istanbul vs. Virtus Segafredo Bologna ](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/game-center/2023-24/anadolu-efes-istanbul-virtus-segafredo-bologna/E2023/308/)

Efes hosts Virtus with both teams knowing defeat means the season is over, while the winner will progress to a decider against the loser of Tuesday’s other play-in contest. Efes finished the regular season in spectacular style, winning the last five games and flexing its muscles with a 100-55 pummeling of Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade last time out. It’s exactly the opposite for Virtus, which concluded a disastrous run of form by losing at home to Baskona in Round 34 to make it seven straight defeats.

The main man for Efes is [Shane Larkin](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/shane-larkin/007200/), who leads the league in Performance Index Rating (20.1 per game). He can count on plenty of support from [Elijah Bryant](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/elijah-bryant/009846/), who scored 26 points against Zvezda, while [Rodrigue Beaubois](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/rodrigue-beaubois/006590/) also remains dangerous with an average of 10.3 points per game. Virtus will look to control the tempo through veteran backcourt organizer [Daniel Hackett](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/daniel-hackett/001844/), while the equally experienced hands of [Marco Belinelli](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/marco-belinelli/bcn/) pose a constant three-point shooting threat.

[Will Clyburn](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/will-clyburn/004888/) is another Efes star who has found top form in recent weeks, but Virtus can lean on the experience of a trio of proven talents underneath the baskets in the form of [Toko Shengelia](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/tornike-shengelia/001133/), [Jordan Mickey](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/jordan-mickey/008847/) and [Bryant Dunston](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/bryant-dunston/003048/).

Efes cruised to victory when the teams met in Istanbul, winning 99-75 in Round 21 behind a season-high 26 points from [Darius Thompson](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/darius-thompson/011078/) and recent form suggests a similar outcome on Tuesday – but Virtus will give everything to keep its season alive.

The Turks can always rely upon the firepower of Shane Larkin but needs a big collective improvement having allowed league-high average of 89.3 ppg. They host Virtus, who are wishing former Efes man Bryant Dunston can continue his form in the paint, after recording PIRs of 18 and 15 in the last two.

Anadolu Efes Istanbul-Virtus Segafredo Bologna | Round 21 Highlights | 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

The Turkish Airlines EuroLeague introduced the Play-In Showdown this season to bring the fans even more games that matter! Watch as EuroLeague CEO Paulius Motiejunas breaks down exactly how it will work.

EuroLeague CEO Paulius Motiejunas introduces the Play-In Showdown

The Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Play-In Showdown debuts on Tuesday with one winning team advancing to the playoffs while one loser will be eliminated. Here’s how it will all unfold. 

Anadolu Efes Istanbul v Virtus Segafredo Bologna (2024-04-16T18:00:00.000Z)

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

EuroLeague top photos of the week

Semi Ojeleye of Valencia dunks against Partizan in Belgrade in his season finale

Paris Lee of ASVEL looks to make a play despite the defense of Barcelona's Ricky Rubio

Elijah Bryant of Efes passes the ball in front of Zvezda's Milos Teodosic and Trey Thompkins

Khalifa Koumadje of ALBA Berlin dunks in Athens against Panathinaikos 

Giampaolo Ricci of Milan collects a rebound in front of Maccabi Jasiel Rivero 

Codi Miller-McIntyre of Baskonia tries to shoot over Virtus's Bryant Dunston

Alpha Diallo of Monaco dunks against FC Bayern Munich

Dzanan Musa of Real Madrid collides with Zalgiris's Dovydas Giedraitis on his way to the basket

Moses Wright of Olympiacos flushes the ball against Fenerbahce

Kassius Robertson of Valencia stretches to shoot around the defense of Partizan's Jaleen Smith

Look back at all the action from Round 34 of the regular season by checking out the best photos of the week!

The Top 10 photos of the week, Round 34

Olympiacos BC refused to down tools in Round 34 as it beat Fenerbahçe Beko 84-81 in overtime to set up a clash with Barça Basket in the EuroLeague Playoffs.

Red-hot Olympiacos revving up for playoffs 

Friday’s regular-season finale between Olympiacos Piraeus and Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul was supposed to be a relatively meaningless affair, conducted between two teams who could have been forgiven for already having one eye on the playoffs.

After all, only the dubious prize of fifth place was up for grabs, with Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens and AS Monaco wrapping up the two remaining home-court advantage slots the previous night.

But if there was any sense of anti-climax and a suggestion of an evening spent going through the motions to save energy for the upcoming postseason action, nobody told the players.

An intensely competitive game featuring 13 lead changes ended up going the distance – and then some – before Olympiacos eventually [came away with an 84-81 victory after overtime](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/live-blog-olympiacos-bc-vs-fenerbahce-beko/), sealing fifth place and setting up a playoff showdown with FC Barcelona.

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="tr" dir="ltr">Final score 🏀 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OlympiacosBC?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#OlympiacosBC</a> - Fenerbahce 84-81 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EveryGameMatters?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EveryGameMatters</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WeAreOlympiacos?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WeAreOlympiacos</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TogetherWeFight?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TogetherWeFight</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OLYFBB?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#OLYFBB</a> <a href="https://t.co/QaxJzYGEa8">pic.twitter.com/QaxJzYGEa8</a></p>&mdash; Olympiacos B.C. (@Olympiacos_BC) <a href="https://twitter.com/Olympiacos_BC/status/1778881104629383184?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 12, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Olympiacos head coach Georgios Bartzokas made the astute observation that such fierce commitment to victory, even in a relatively unimportant game, sums up the brutal nature of the competition.

“It was a very tough game, very representative of what the \[Turkish Airlines\] EuroLeague is," he said. “There's no easy game at any time in the season. It’s a battle everywhere.”

Georgios Bartzokas spoke to the TV cameras after Olympiacos Piraeus beat Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul in Round 34 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.

Coach Bartzokas speaks post-Fenerbahce win

### A serious performance by Olympiacos

The win also underlined that Olympiacos is ready for the playoffs in every way: mentally, with 10 wins out of the last 11 games, and physically, with Bartzokas granted the rare luxury of choice approaching the end of a season plagued by injury problems.

The sight of [Nikola Milutinov](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/nikola-milutinov/003941/) returning to the floor for the first time since Round 22 was especially welcome. The big man appeared during the second quarter and although he only spent 4:27 minutes in the game, Milutinov used that time to show he’s ready to become a major factor over the remainder of the season, registering 5 points, 3 rebounds and 2 fouls drawn for a PIR of 10.

As expected, Bartzokas also used the game as an opportunity to rotate playing time around his roster, with [Luke Sikma](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/luke-sikma/006589/) in particular taking advantage of a rare off night from [Alec Peters](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/alec-peters/008829/) (2 points on 1-of-6 shooting from the field) to showcase his skills. 

Sikma played for more than 20 minutes, his second-highest total of the season, and scored 7 points as well as doing a great job defensively to record a plus/minus of +9, the joint highest of any Olympiacos player alongside another bench booster, [Giannoulis Larentzakis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/giannoulis-larentzakis/010392/).

### Perfect preparation for the playoffs

All told, Friday’s regular-season closer might not have been the most important game of the campaign, but it ended up serving as a perfect preparation for its upcoming playoff battle against Barcelona, keeping Olympiacos’s competitive juices flowing, maintaining momentum with a battling win against a direct rival and sending the loyal legion of fans home very happy.

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Olympiacos fans getting ready for the PLAYOFFS 🗣️ 🔊 <a href="https://t.co/zcVf4HWIpF">pic.twitter.com/zcVf4HWIpF</a></p>&mdash; Turkish Airlines EuroLeague (@EuroLeague) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague/status/1778870376954581369?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 12, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

And Bartzokas is ready to enjoy whatever comes next, saying: “We’ve ended the season with a win on our home court and we’re really happy that we’re going to play the playoffs one more time.

“It’s not easy to get the playoffs spot, and we’re happy. We are going to be well prepared and we will be a tough opponent for any team. I’m sure all the games are going to be really good.”

Considering the thrills that this season has delivered so far, ‘really good’ sounds like a fair prediction.

Giannoulis Larentzakis of Olympiacos Piraeus reacts with delight during his team's win against Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul in Round 34 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.

Georgios Bartzokas’s squad refused to down tools in Round 34

Olympiacos Piraeus v Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul (2024-04-12T18:15:00.000Z)

In the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague roll call, we take a look at five players that had a big impact on their respective games for Round 34: Jaleen Smith, Joffrey Lauvergne, Dzanan Musa, Shaquielle McKissic, Codi Miller-McIntyre.

Roll call, Round 34: Ending the regular season on a high

### Musa was Los Blancos' tone-setter

Real Madrid set a EuroLeague record with 27 regular-season wins after edging out Zalgiris Kaunas [62-64](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/game-center/2023-24/zalgiris-kaunas-real-madrid/E2023/302/) on a game-winning shot by Gaby Deck. However, it was [Dzanan Musa](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/dzanan-musa/006540/) who got things rolling for Real Madrid, which was coming off a home loss against Baskonia that did not sit well in the Spanish capital. But Musa scored 8 first-quarter points for Los Blancos as they took control and played the entire game with a lead. Despite head coach Chus Mateo balancing game time between all the players, Musa played 23 minutes and still finished with game-high 17 points, making 3-of-5 two-pointers and 3-of-6 threes, including one that made it 59-62 with 1:21 to go. Musa also grabbed 7 rebounds, had 1 block and his +8 was the highest of all players in this game.

Real Madrid set a EuroLeague record with 27 regular-season wins after edging out Zalgiris Kaunas 62-64 on a game-winning shot by Gaby Deck. However, it was Dzanan Musa who got things rolling for Real Madrid.

Musa was Los Blancos' tone-setter

### Miller-McIntyre sparked Baskonia’s turnaround

Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz secured eighth place in the standings with a comeback [91-95](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/game-center/2023-24/virtus-segafredo-bologna-baskonia-vitoria-gasteiz/E2023/303/) win at Virtus Segafredo Bologna. [Codi Miller-McIntyre](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/codi-miller-mcintyre/009048/) was one of the team’s key contributors on the night. Quiet in the first half, Miller-McIntyre exploded in the third quarter when he scored 10 of his 16 points. The Baskonia playmaker scored 8 straight, fueling a 1-16 third-quarter run that turned a 66-57 deficit into a 67-73 lead. He also finished the game with 7 assists and had 4 rebounds in 34 minutes of work, and along with 34 points from Markus Howard, was the main reason why Baskonia now has two opportunities to get one play-in win and reach the playoffs.

Codi Miller-Mcintyre's highlights vs Virtus

Miller-McIntyre sparked Baskonia’s turnaround

### Jaleen Smith enjoyed a big regular-season finale

One day after learning of its elimination from the postseason race, Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade beat Valencia Basket [79-66](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/game-center/2023-24/partizan-mozzart-bet-belgrade-valencia-basket/E2023/306/) and saw [Jaleen Smith](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/jaleen-smith/011192/) have his best game of the season and one of the best games of his career. Smith played exactly 30 minutes, attempting 6 three-point attempts and making 5 of them. He also had a career-high 4 steals, all in his first appearance since Round 25. After the game, he earned praise from head coach Zeljko Obradovic, who said: "Even when Smith was not playing, I told him he was behaving and doing things exactly \[how\] he should be."

Jaleen Smith shot 5-for-6 from three-point land in Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade's win over Valencia Basket.

Jaleen Smith enjoyed a big regular-season finale

### Lauvergne shined in a huge upset

LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne has long known that it would not get a taste of postseason basketball, but that did not stop the team from going out with a bang. One week after spoiling Valencia's play-in bid, ASVEL downed playoff-bound FC Barcelona [76-72](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/game-center/2023-24/ldlc-asvel-villeurbanne-fc-barcelona/E2023/304/). [Joffrey Lauvergne](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/joffrey-lauvergne/004194/) shined with 20 points, making 8-of-11 two-pointers and 1-of-2 threes. He also pulled down 5 rebounds. In 17 minutes of action, Lauvergne had a +12 in the plus/minus column, the highest of any player in the game. Yes, Barcelona knew it was locked in to fourth place before the game started, but it was still a nice way for both Lauvergne and ASVEL to draw their EuroLeague campaign to a close.

In a win over FC Barcelona, Joffrey Lauvergne shined with 20 points, making 8-of-11 two-pointers and 1-of-2 threes. He also pulled down 5 rebounds. In 17 minutes of action,

Lauvergne shined in a huge upset

### McKissic had clutch plays for Olympiacos

Olympiacos Piraeus finished the regular season in style, recording an [84-81](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/game-center/2023-24/olympiacos-piraeus-fenerbahce-beko-istanbul/E2023/305/) overtime win against Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul. One of the Reds' main protagonists in regulation was [Shaquielle McKissic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/shaquielle-mckissic/007853/), who scored half of his 12 points in the fourth quarter, including a three-point play in penultimate minute that got Olympiacos within 68-69. In a role of the bench, McKissic once again gave Olympiacos a boost of energy and helped it overcome a slow start to the game. He also had a coast-to-coast buzzer-beater at the end of the first half, which is a perfect display of what the way in which McKissic can impact the game for the Reds. Having gone 5 for 7 from two-point range and made 2 steals, the 33-year-old guard was one of the key men in Olympiacos’s regular-season finale.

McKissic had clutch plays in Olympiacos's overtime win over Fenerbahce.

McKissic had clutch plays for Olympiacos

In the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague roll call, we take a look at five players that had a big impact on their respective games for Round 34.

Check out the top performers statistically from Round 34 of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season.

Round 34, individual highs: Mike James, Monaco, 12 assists

[Points](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/stats/expanded/?size=25&viewType=traditional&seasonCode=E2023&statisticMode=perGame&seasonMode=Single&sortDirection=descending&statistic=score)

[Markus Howard](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/markus-howard/011948/) of Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz led all scorers in Round 34 with 34 points. Howard finished the regular season as the EuroLeague’s top scorer with 19.4 points per game.

[Rebounds](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/stats/expanded/?size=25&viewType=traditional&seasonCode=E2023&statisticMode=perGame&seasonMode=Single&sortDirection=descending&statistic=totalRebounds)

Four players – [Josh Nebo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/josh-nebo/011199/) of Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv, [Alex Poythress](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/alex-poythress/009960/) of EA7 Emporio Armani Milan, [Matt Costello](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/matthew-costello/010444/) of Baskonia and [James Nnaji](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/james-nnaji/010641/) of FC Barcelona – each had 9 rebounds, the most in this round. Nebo ended the regular season the league leader in this statistic, averaging 7.3 rebounds per contest.

[Assists](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/stats/expanded/?size=25&viewType=traditional&seasonCode=E2023&statisticMode=perGame&seasonMode=Single&sortDirection=descending&statistic=assistances)

[Mike James](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/mike-james/005985/) of AS Monaco dished 12 assists, his season high and more than any other player in Round 34. Baskonia's [Codi Miller-McIntyre](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/codi-miller-mcintyre/009048/) was this season’s best assists man, averaging 7.2 per night.

[Steals](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/stats/expanded/?size=25&viewType=traditional&seasonCode=E2023&statisticMode=perGame&seasonMode=Single&sortDirection=descending&statistic=steals)

Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade guard [Jaleen Smith](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/jaleen-smith/011192/) had 4 steals, the most in Round 34. [Paris Lee](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/paris-lee/011225/) of LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne finished with a league-best 1.7 steals per game.

[Blocks](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/stats/expanded/?size=25&viewType=traditional&seasonCode=E2023&statisticMode=perGame&seasonMode=Single&sortDirection=descending&statistic=blocksFavour)

Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens center [Kostas Antetokounmpo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/kostas-antetokounmpo/011221/) posted 4 blocks, leading all players in Round 34. Real Madrid center [Vincent Poirier](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/vincent-poirier/004887/) finished as the EuroLeague’s top shot-blocker with 1.5 rejections per game.

[Double-doubles](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/stats/expanded/?size=25&viewType=miscellaneous&seasonCode=E2023&statisticMode=accumulated&seasonMode=Single&sortDirection=descending&statistic=doubleDoubles)

Round 34's lone double-double belongs to Mike James, who had 17 points and 12 assists.