Dzanan Musa and Mario Hezonja ensured that Real Madrid Baloncesto could beat KK Crvena zvezda, scoring 50 of their team's 101 points in a 101-94 win.

Real Madrid refused to roll over in comeback win against Crvena Zvezda

Trailing by 16 points to Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade in the third quarter at home, the Real Madrid players eventually woke up and realized they were representing Real Madrid. They could not accept losing a game in that manner.

Real stormed back behind [Dzanan Musa](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/dzanan-musa/006540/) and [Mario Hezonja](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/mario-hezonja/003108/) for [a thrilling 101-94 victory](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/live-blog-real-madrid-baloncesto-vs-kk-crvena-zvezda/), which was the team’s fourth straight win.

Neither team had anything to really play for – Real had already clinched first place and Zvezda had already been eliminated from the race for the Play-In Showdown. Still, Zvezda built a 54-70 lead midway through the third quarter.

Real punched back with 13 straight points and would even the game at 75-75. Eventually, Real pulled ahead 86-85 and Hezonja had a big steal and dunk to make it 96-93.

With Los Blancos already assured of first-place, Head Coach Chus Mateo is likely to spread playing time across his roster, including young Hugo Gonzalez. They welcome already-eliminated Zvezda, who aim to end 23/24 on a high by building on a victory over Virtus, propelled by 25 from Nemanja Nedovic.

Real Madrid-Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade| Round 32 Highlights | 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

“This shows our character that we want to win all the time. It doesn’t matter if it is a crucial game or something like this,” said Musa, who tallied 30 points.

“We realized that we are Real Madrid and we cannot let that slip away so easily. You cannot come into our house and beat us easily. We were prepared for anything and just wanted to defend our home court.”

### A question of concentration and focus

Following Friday night’s triumph, Real improved to 26-6 on the season and 14-2 at home.

“Our team does not want to lose any game. And they made an extra effort. They knew that this game had no importance for the standings. But it was very good how they tried their best,” Real head coach Chus Mateo noted.

“It is not easy to keep the same concentration for every game. We demand them to be ready all the time. This opponent is very good. They have to keep the same concentration from the beginning of September until the end of June. It is not easy. Sometimes there are ups and downs. But most important is the character that we have. And that we are able to come back again.”

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="und" dir="ltr">🏁 FP: <a href="https://twitter.com/RMBaloncesto?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RMBaloncesto</a> 101 - 94 <a href="https://twitter.com/kkcrvenazvezda?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@kkcrvenazvezda</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EuroLeague?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EuroLeague</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/UnicajaBanco?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@UnicajaBanco</a> <a href="https://t.co/RFDFREilo3">pic.twitter.com/RFDFREilo3</a></p>&mdash; Real Madrid Basket (@RMBaloncesto) <a href="https://twitter.com/RMBaloncesto/status/1773824609386745908?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 29, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Hezonja said the team expects to win every game, even when there’s nothing riding on the fixture.

"We respect all of our rivals, but if we are 100 percent \[focused\] on the defensive end and we take care of the ball offensively with few turnovers, I think we are a pretty good chance to win the game,” the forward commented.

The win might not have meant anything in the standings, but the fact that Real fought back so quickly shows just how dangerous Real can be.

Game News

Mario Hezonja of Real Madrid exclaims during his team's win against Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade in Round 32 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.

Dzanan Musa and Mario Hezonja combined for 50 points on the night

Real Madrid v Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade (2024-03-29T19:30:00.000Z)

Real Madrid Baloncesto stepped up late to beat KK Crvena zvezda 101-94 in Round 32 of the 2023-24 EuroLeague season.

Real Madrid rallies to beat Crvena Zvezda, 101-94

<incrowd-live-blog id="6604052759f35bd260edcf81" client-id="EUROLEAGUE" server="standard"></incrowd-live-blog><script src="https://live-blog.incrowdsports.com/index.js"></script>

Hugo Gonzalez of Real Madrid is guarded by Nemanja Nedovic of Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade in Round 32 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.

Los Blancos left it late but managed to do enough to grab their 26th win of the campaign

Panathinaikos BC had to rely on a last-second make by Kendrick Nunn to defeat Virtus Bologna 79-81 in Round 32 of the 2023-24 EuroLeague season.

Nunn steps up as Panathinaikos grabs 79-81 win at Virtus

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Kendrick Nunn of Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens is guarded by Ognjen Dobric of Virtus Segafredo Bologna in Round 32 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.

The American guard beat the fourth-quarter buzzer to ensure his team notched its 21st win of the season

Virtus Segafredo Bologna v Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens (2024-03-29T19:30:00.000Z)

Nigel Hayes-Davis scored a new EuroLeague single-game record of 50 points as Fenerbahçe Beko Istanbul beat ALBA Berlin 103-68 in Round 32 of the 2023-24 EuroLeague season.

Hayes-Davis sets scoring record as Fenerbahçe routs ALBA, 103-68

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Nigel Hayes-Davis of Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul is guarded by Tim Schneider of ALBA Berlin in Round 32 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.

It was a night to remember for the home team's fans

Hayes-Davis sets scoring record as Fenerbahce routs ALBA, 103-68

Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul v ALBA Berlin (2024-03-29T17:45:00.000Z)

Nigel Hayes-Davis created history on March 29, 2024, by scoring 50 points in Fenerbahçe Beko's win against ALBA Berlin, a new EuroLeague single-game scoring record.

Nigel Hayes-Davis sets EuroLeague single-game scoring record with 50 points!

By scoring 50 points in [Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul’s 103-68 win against ALBA Berlin](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/live-blog-fenerbahce-beko-istanbul-vs-alba-berlin/), [Nigel Hayes-Davis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/nigel-hayes-davis/008962/) has usurped Shane Larkin and set a new single-game record for points scored in a Turkish Airlines EuroLeague game.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="und" dir="ltr">50.<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/qvCdnU9t7Q">pic.twitter.com/qvCdnU9t7Q</a></p>&mdash; Fenerbahçe Beko (@FBBasketbol) <a href="https://twitter.com/FBBasketbol/status/1773802546659782660?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 29, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

The night got off to a great start for Hayes-Davis, who set a new Fenerbahce record by scoring 18 first-quarter points – no Fenerbahce player had ever scored 18 points in a quarter before. Then, at halftime, the 29-year-old had 21 points to his name.

Once the second half began, Hayes-Davis picked up where he left off by erupting for 15 third-quarter points, which took him to 36 heading into the fourth. Clearly in search of creating some history, Hayes-Davis was coming out of the game only for brief stretches, despite Fenerbahce being up big, and he went on to score a further 14 points, thus seeing him move to 50 points and knock off Larkin’s record.

Nigel Hayes-Davis set a new Turkish Airlines EuroLeague single-game scoring record by netting 50 points in Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul's 103-68 win against ALBA Berlin in Round 32 of the 2023-24 season.

The best plays from Hayes-Davis' 50-point outing

Some 1,582 days stood between Larkin netting 49 in Anadolu Efes Istanbul’s win against FC Bayern Munich on November 29, 2019, and Hayes-Davis doing so on March 29, 2024. Almost four and a half years.

### Hayes-Davis on his 50-point performance

“I had it written in my notes at the beginning of the season that I wanted to break the scoring record this year,” Hayes-Davis said after his 50-point outing. “Right before the game, I texted my guys Jordan and Nate, and told them that I was feeling a Dejounte Murray game. I didn’t know I was going to score 50, I just knew I was going to shoot the ball a lot!

“But all the credit goes to my teammates. Once I got it going, they were doing a great job finding me – and an even bigger thanks goes to Ilker \[Ucer, Fenerbahce’s communications and media relations manager\] and the fans because the fans knew the scoring record was 49 and they started yelling at Saras \[Jasikevicius\] to put me back in. It was a club effort, team effort, and I’m very proud of myself for doing this. Very proud of myself and the work and everything I put in. It’s a great honor.”

Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul's Nigel Hayes-Davis made history against ALBA Berlin in Round 32 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.

The Fenerbahce forward caught fire early and never cooled down

Round 32 of the 2023-24 EuroLeague has come to a close, with tonnes of exciting stories occurring across the league.

EuroLeague Game Center: Round 32 is officially in the books!

### Friday, March 29

[Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul 103-68 ALBA Berlin](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/live-blog-fenerbahce-beko-istanbul-vs-alba-berlin/)

Fenerbahce played and won another game in which a EuroLeague all-time record was set, routing ALBA 103-68 as Nigel Hayes-Davis became the first player to score 50 points in a EuroLeague game. Fenerbahce handled its business, improving to 20-12 on the season, while ALBA dropped to a 5-27 record.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="tr" dir="ltr">Maç Bizim! 💪<br><br>Tebrikler Fenerbahçe Beko! 👏<br><br>Maç Sonucu | Fenerbahçe Beko 🆚 <a href="https://twitter.com/albaberlin?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@albaberlin</a>: 103-68<br><br>Skor dağılımımız: Hayes-Davis 50, Motley 18, Sertaç 7, Dorsey 7, Pierre 6, Biberovic 6, Madar 4, Calathes 2, Wilbekin 2, Papagiannis 1. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/YellowLegacy?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#YellowLegacy</a> <a href="https://t.co/RzyVOjIUbt">pic.twitter.com/RzyVOjIUbt</a></p>&mdash; Fenerbahçe Beko (@FBBasketbol) <a href="https://twitter.com/FBBasketbol/status/1773796298107298099?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 29, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

[Real Madrid 101-94 Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/live-blog-real-madrid-baloncesto-vs-kk-crvena-zvezda/)

Real Madrid rallied from a 16-point deficit to defeat Crvena Zvezda 101-94 for its fourth straight victory. Dzanan Musa poured in 30 points and Mario Hezonja scored 20 points for Real, which improved to 26-6. Nemanja Nedovic dropped 30 points for Zvezda, which fell to 11-21.

[Virtus Segafredo Bologna 79-81 Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/live-blog-virtus-bologna-vs-panathinaikos-bc/)

Panathinaikos maintained its top-four chances by winning a thriller at Virtus, 79-81, thanks to a floater at the final buzzer from Kendrick Nunn. The Greek giant stays on track to secure home-court advantage in the playoffs by improving to 21-11, while the last-second loss condemned Virtus to five consecutive defeats and a 17-15 record.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Final score ☘️<a href="https://twitter.com/VirtusSegafredo?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@VirtusSegafredo</a> - <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/paobcaktor?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#paobcaktor</a> 79-81<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WeTheGreens?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WeTheGreens</a> <a href="https://t.co/2Nlt1FWBPT">pic.twitter.com/2Nlt1FWBPT</a></p>&mdash; Panathinaikos BC (@paobcgr) <a href="https://twitter.com/paobcgr/status/1773825414919524664?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 29, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

### Thursday, March 28

[Zalgiris Kaunas 87-73 EA7 Emporio Armani Milan](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/live-blog-zalgiris-kaunas-vs-olimpia-milano/)

Zalgiris lived to fight another round by downing Milan 87-73 at home on Thursday. The result leaves both teams with 14-18 records, but Zalgiris has beaten Milan twice this season and thus owns the head-to-head tie-break advantage.  Keenan Evans paced the winners with 20 points. Edmond Sumner added 17 Arnas Butkevicius had 13 and Lukas Lekavicius 10 for Zalgiris. Nikola Mirotic led Milan with 19 points, Shabazz Napier added 17 and Shavon Shields 11.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">This was fire! <a href="https://twitter.com/ZalgirioArena?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ZalgirioArena</a> deserved this one. Thank you! 🔥 <a href="https://t.co/VLFtmEtAch">pic.twitter.com/VLFtmEtAch</a></p>&mdash; BC Zalgiris Kaunas (@bczalgiris) <a href="https://twitter.com/bczalgiris/status/1773439283002527746?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 28, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

[FC Bayern Munich 79-87 FC Barcelona](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/live-blog-fc-bayern-basketball-vs-fc-barcelona/)

Barcelona (21-11) edged closer to the EuroLeague Playoffs with a comfortable 79-87 win at Bayern (13-19) after Jan Vesely, Nicolas Laprovittola and Jabari Parker produced mature performances and scored in double digits. Parker paced the visitors with 15 points, Laprovittola added 14 and Vesely chipped in with 12, as the *Blaugrana* dominated throughout against shorthanded Bayern, which was missing several key players. Tomas Satoransky and Willy Hernangomez racked up 9 points each for Barca, the latter also picking up 8 boards in a smooth team effort. At the other end, Serge Ibaka shined with an impressive double-double of 17 points and 12 rebounds. Nick Weiler-Babb also poured in 17 points for the hosts and Vladimir Lucic netted 13, but the supporting cast failed to step up to the plate for Bayern.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="ca" dir="ltr">𝐕𝐈𝐂𝐓𝐎̀𝐑𝐈𝐀 𝐈𝐌𝐏𝐎𝐑𝐓𝐀𝐍𝐓𝐈́𝐒𝐒𝐈𝐌𝐀 👊 <a href="https://t.co/OVmtKCLtyy">pic.twitter.com/OVmtKCLtyy</a></p>&mdash; Barça Basket (@FCBbasket) <a href="https://twitter.com/FCBbasket/status/1773460284453093484?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 28, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

[Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade 69-74 Olympiacos Piraeus](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/live-blog-kk-partizan-vs-olympiacos-bc/)

Olympiacos produced a stunning fourth-quarter comeback to defeat Partizan 69-74 on the road in Round 32. With this win, the Greek side improved its record to 20-12, with Partizan dropping to 14-18. One victory in the last two games could be enough for Olympiacos to clinch a top-six spot, while Partizan is still in play-in contention despite the defeat. Nigel Williams-Goss paced Olympiacos with 17 points, Kostas Papanikolaou netted 13, Thomas Walkup recorded 11 and Isaiah Canaan added 10. Kevin Punter led all scorers with 19 points, Frank Kaminsky had 14 points, Bruno Caboclo registered 13 and PJ Dozier netted 12.

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="es" dir="ltr">Final 🏀 Partizan - <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OlympiacosBC?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#OlympiacosBC</a> 69-74 (40&#39;) <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/PAROLY?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PAROLY</a> <a href="https://t.co/41hbkIgVJg">pic.twitter.com/41hbkIgVJg</a></p>&mdash; Olympiacos B.C. (@Olympiacos_BC) <a href="https://twitter.com/Olympiacos_BC/status/1773462743082803570?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 28, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

[Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz 76-97 Anadolu Efes Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/live-blog-baskonia-vitoria-gasteiz-vs-anadolu-efes-sk/)

Efes continued its strong run and rolled past Baskonia 76-97 to stay in the running for the Play-In Showdown. The Turkish side put Baskonia away with a 4-21 start to the second half for its first road victory of 2024 and a 15-17 record. Shane Larkin poured in 28 points, Will Clyburn picked up 20 points and Ercan Osmani chipped in 15 points as Efes has won four of its last five games. It was Efes’ first road win since December 7 — snapping a streak of eight straight losses away from home. Baskonia dropped to 16-16 after its third straight loss — missing a chance to lock up a spot in the Play-In Showdown. Markus Howard was the leading scorer with 15 points.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="tr" dir="ltr">Kritik maçtan galibiyetle ayrılıyoruz! 👊<br>Baskonia 76 - 97 Anadolu Efes | Maç Sonucu<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BenimYerimBuras%C4%B1?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BenimYerimBurası</a> <a href="https://t.co/vjG25mD40O">pic.twitter.com/vjG25mD40O</a></p>&mdash; Anadolu Efes SK (@AnadoluEfesSK) <a href="https://twitter.com/AnadoluEfesSK/status/1773461836655948184?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 28, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

[LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne 77-87 AS Monaco](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/live-blog-ldlc-asvel-vs-as-monaco-basket/)

Monaco took another critical step to reach the EuroLeague Playoffs by downing ASVEL 77-87 on the road in Round 32 on Thursday. Monaco improved to 22-11 while ASVEL dropped to 7-25. Elie Okobo paced the winners with 16 points. Alpha Diallo added 15, Jaron Blossomgame had 13 while Mike James got 12 for Monaco. Timothy Luwawu-Cabarrot had ASVEL with 23 points on 5-of-6 three-pointers. Joffrey Lauvergne and Edwin Jackson each added 13 points for the hosts.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="fr" dir="ltr">✅️ Au bout d&#39;une belle bataille, la <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RocaTeam?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RocaTeam</a> accélère dans le money time et prend le dessus 🆚️ <a href="https://twitter.com/LDLCASVEL?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@LDLCASVEL</a> 🔐<br><br>🚀 Un succès important pour finir le plus haut possible en <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EuroLeague</a> ! 😤<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RocaTeam?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RocaTeam</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EveryGameMatters?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EveryGameMatters</a> <a href="https://t.co/bCWTpgUxqw">pic.twitter.com/bCWTpgUxqw</a></p>&mdash; AS Monaco Basket 🇲🇨 (@ASMonaco_Basket) <a href="https://twitter.com/ASMonaco_Basket/status/1773468546049208625?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 28, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

### Wednesday, March 27

[Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv 95-80 Valencia Basket](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/live-blog-maccabi-tel-aviv-bc-vs-valencia-basket/)

Maccabi remains the hottest team in the EuroLeague after securing its sixth straight win in the competition, having defeated Valencia 95-80 in Belgrade to move to a 19-13 record. In particular, Maccabi's Wade Baldwin and Josh Nebo caused all sorts of headaches for a free-falling Valencia side that is now 1-6 over its last seven games and 14-18 overall.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">15 W&#39;s in a row! 💪 <a href="https://t.co/zgKZ01DTh8">pic.twitter.com/zgKZ01DTh8</a></p>&mdash; Maccabi Tel Aviv BC 🇮🇱​ (@MaccabiTLVBC) <a href="https://twitter.com/MaccabiTLVBC/status/1773100964951548132?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 27, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Round 32 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season is officially in the books!

Game Center: Hayes-Davis, Nunn the talk of the town after Friday night's action

FC Bayern Munich v FC Barcelona (2024-03-28T19:30:00.000Z)

LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne v AS Monaco (2024-03-28T20:00:00.000Z)

Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade v Olympiacos Piraeus (2024-03-28T19:30:00.000Z)

Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv v Valencia Basket (2024-03-27T19:30:00.000Z)

Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz v Anadolu Efes Istanbul (2024-03-28T19:30:00.000Z)

Zalgiris Kaunas v EA7 Emporio Armani Milan (2024-03-28T18:00:00.000Z)

A victory in a Friday-night showdown would have a lot larger importance and meaning for Panathinaikos and Virtus than just its implication in postseason races.

Virtus, Panathinaikos clash looking for victory, and some more

Round 32 will close on Friday night with [a clash of two fallen giants](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/game-center/2023-24/virtus-segafredo-bologna-panathinaikos-aktor-athens/E2023/288/), both back on the path of returning to their former Turkish Airlines EuroLeague glory. It's been 23 years since Virus Segafredo Bologna (17-14) won the last of its two EuroLeague titles, and it's been 13 years since Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens (20-11) lifted the last of its six EuroLeague crowns.

This season, both teams are firmly on track to return to the EuroLeague postseason, each with its own goals. Their Friday-night showdown will have plenty of say in determining whether they meet those goals, or not.

### Roles reversed

When it comes to this campaign, one team – third-place Panathinaikos – is moving up after a slow start to the season, while the home team – eighth-place Virtus – has been spiraling down after a fantastic first half of the regular season.

Boosted by Round 8's Italian derby victory, third-place Virtus head to Athens wanting to bolster its position amid the playoffs places. After failing to score any points in the previous three, Iffe Lundberg was key to victory over Milan, while Ergin Ataman's Green revival continued in a battling win over Zalgiris.

Panathinaikos Athens-Virtus Segafredo Bologna | Round 9 Highlights | 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

When they met back in Round 9 and [Panathinaikos won 90-76](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/game-center/2023-24/panathinaikos-aktor-athens-virtus-segafredo-bologna/E2023/79/), it marked the first time this season that Panathinaikos held a winning record, 5-4 at the time. Soon after, the Greens went on a three-game losing streak and in mid-December, after 13 rounds, they found themselves sitting in 11th place in the standings before starting a steady climb that is continuing to this day. They have won 14 of their last 18 games.

For Virtus, that loss in Athens last November was just its third defeat of the season. When Panathinaikos was starting its three-game losing streak, Virtus was the feel-good story of the season, starting a run of seven wins in eight games that kept the team firmly among the top three places in the standings.

However, the things have changed drastically for Virtus, which is not only on a four-game losing streak, but has now lost seven of its last nine games.

### Mission to regain confidence

It all has Virtus, once viewed as a Final Four contender, still needing to secure a place in the Play-In Showdown entering Round 32. A direct place in the playoffs, for which Virtus will need to finish in the top six, is all but out of reach, and just about everything would have to go Virtus's way over the final three games in order to achieve that – starting with a win over Panathinaikos.

Over the past four games, Toko Shengelia is averaging 17.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.5 steals.

Tornike Shengelia highlights since Round 28

But for Luca Banchi's side, this game is less about making a late push for the top six than about re-gaining confidence ahead of the postseason.

A team that once held a 14-5 record has registered losses of 13 or more points in seven games since then. Each of the last three games Virtus dropped by exactly 15 points, including last week's disappointing losses in Kaunas and Belgrade against Zalgiris and Crvena Zvezda, respectively.

The good news for Virus is certainly forward [Toko Shengelia](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/tornike-shengelia/001133/) returning to form after having some injury struggles. Shengelia, chosen as EuroLeague MVP for October, scored in double figures only once in a two-month period from early January to early March, during which time he also missed three games with an injury.

Over the last four games, however, Shengelia is averaging 17.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.5 steals. Virtus has been dearly missing [Daniel Hackett](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/daniel-hackett/001844/) and [Isaia Cordinier](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/isaia-cordinier/009549/), but Shengelia's all-round contributions, along with his leadership and character, is the driving force of this Virtus side.

### Greens want to stay on their path

Panathinaikos, meanwhile, has been clicking so well, winning 10 of its last 13 games, that recent losses in Kaunas and Piraeus have sounded alarms only because the goal is now bigger: finishing in the top four to gain home-court advantage in the playoffs.

Success on Friday in a tough road environment like Bologna would suggest there is no room or reason to worry, reinforcing the optimism of this team in the first year of head coach Ergin Ataman's reign.

Panathinaikos defense allows a league second-fewest 77.2 points per game, and has kept the opposition from scoring more than 76 points in all but four games since Round 15.

Panathinaikos defense has been turned on

The Greens are fueled and energized by the force of big man [Mathias Lessort](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/mathias-lessort/003842/) (13.9 ppg., 6.1 rpg.) and offense orchestrated by the 34-year old three-time champion [Kostas Sloukas](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/kostas-sloukas/001926/), who is has looked rejuvenated of late, posting 14.4. points and 7.0 assists since returning from his own four-game injury absence.

That's all at the forefront, when actually it is the Greens defense that has been the main platform for team's success. Defense that allows the EuroLeague's second-fewest points per game, 77.2, and that has held opponents to 76 points or less in all but four games since Round 15.

The Greens hope that the same recipe will work in Bologna at a sold-out Virus Segafredo Arena, where the passionate home fans will look to help Virtus get out of its funk and snatch a win that would go a long way to aiming the Italian club toward bigger things in April, and they are hoping, in May.

The defending champions have already set the table for another run at EuroLeague glory.

Real Madrid's title defense, at full throttle

In May of 2023, Real Madrid lifted its 11th Turkish Airlines EuroLeague trophy, a record in European basketball. This season, Los Blancos are defending their title in a formidable way and, for starters, have already clinched first place in the regular season.

"It was kind of unrealistic to come into the season and say 'OK, after 20 games in the regular season, we will have 18 wins or something like that,'" Dzanan Musa says. "But right now, when we see our roster, the way we talk to each other (...) I think that's the key to success this season."

And success it is. Not only Real became the first team to reach the playoffs, but it has also secured home-court advantage for its series by nailing down first place in the regular season standings.

"We tried to do our job from the beginning of the season," coach Chus Mateo explains. "We are trying to play with a style and to do the right things in practice."

Real is first in the league in average PIR (106.9), points (88.5), total rebounds (36.6) and assists (20.5) some numbers that are hard to argue against and that show utter domination by the Spanish team in the first phase of the season.

"Our mentality is helping a lot," Mateo continues. "Our lockerroom is great, the players are together in the bad moments, too."

A sign that the intangibles, like the so-called "team chemistry" also play a major role in the success of any team.

Now, Los Blancos are getting ready for the postseason to try to win back-to-back titles in Berlin next May.

Olympiacos BC trailed 59-46 entering the third quarter of its game at KK Partizan, yet it came away with a 69-74 win after a fantastic fourth-quarter display.

Fourth-quarter turnaround inspired Olympiacos past Partizan

The raucous atmosphere inside Stark Arena on Thursday night [forced Olympiacos Piraeus into a nervy start against Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/live-blog-kk-partizan-vs-olympiacos-bc/). With both teams aware of just how much a win would mean, Partizan was the side keeping a cool head through the first 30 minutes, outscoring the visitors in each of the first three quarters (22-17, 18-15, 19-14) to take a 59-46 lead into the final period.

“In the first three quarters, we were nervous,” head coach Georgios Bartzokas stated in the post-game press conference. “We missed many wide-open shots. We had opportunities to end a 4vs1 transition and we made a turnover. We were trailing for more than 30 minutes.”

In fact, Olympiacos hadn’t been in front since early in the game, when [Alec Peters](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/alec-peters/008829/) gave the Reds a 7-9 lead with a couple of free throws four minutes into the first quarter. However, the Greek side tightened up its defense, which provided a shot in the arm for its offense once again – a recurring theme for Olympiacos this season.

### Taking charge in the fourth quarter

Partizan ended up going on an almost four-minute scoreless spell in the last quarter, with Olympiacos capitalizing by scoring 12 straight points to cut the gap to one point, 59-58. “Our fourth quarter was dominant,” Bartzokas added. “We won 10-28 in this period of time, which was crucial and started from our amazing defense that three players – [\[Kostas\] Papanikolaou](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/kostas-papanikolaou/001255/), [\[Thomas\] Walkup](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/thomas-walkup/008855/) and [Nigel Williams-Goss](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/nigel-williams-goss/007982/) – gave to the team by defending the very dangerous guards, creators and scorers that Partizan has.”

Olympiacos recorded 4 fourth-quarter steals, forcing Partizan to commit 5 turnovers. The three aforementioned players dominated on both ends of the court, as they also netted a combined 21 points in the last period, with the Greek side outscoring Partizan 10-28 to grab a statement 69-74 victory.

<center>
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Bartzokas didn’t hesitate to praise Walkup and Williams-Goss, both of whom have been dealing with injuries over the last few games. “I have to tell you that Williams-Goss and Walkup can’t practice in this period because they have injuries and they are trying to protect themselves,” the Greek coach noted. “So, giving this intensity on the court for almost 20 minutes was crucial.”

With 10 minutes to go, Olympiacos was trailing by 13 points and the objective of securing home-court advantage in the playoffs seemed anything but doable. Yet, a week after outscoring LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne 26-9 in the fourth period to clinch an 80-64 victory at home, the Greek side pulled off another extraordinary fourth-quarter display to down Partizan.

“It was such a tough atmosphere to play in,” Williams-Goss admitted. “Obviously, a lot was on the line for both teams and you saw that from both teams’ effort. It was a fight until the end and I’m super proud of the way we stuck together and pulled it out. With the standings being so close, now it’s just two games left. So, all these games are critical and we knew the importance coming into \[this game\].”

Nigel Williams-Goss spoke to the media after Olympiacos Piraeus beat Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade in Round 32 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.

Nigel Williams-Goss post-Partizan win

### Olympiacos and its elite defense

Despite boasting the sixth-best offense in the EuroLeague with 83.2 scored per game coming into Thursday’s contest, Partizan was held to just 69 points by the guests, which is the second round in a row Olympiacos’s opponent has failed to score more than 70 points and the 11th time this season. It was also Partizan's lowest-scoring display in 32 games this year, which speaks volumes of the Reds’ defensive outing at Stark Arena.

Olympiacos will return to the Serbian capital next week to face Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade on Thursday night. Then, it will host top-four aspirant Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul in what is expected to be one of the most decisive games in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season. 

Having won eight of its last nine games, the Greek side is keen to end the season in style – and its victory at Partizan showed why Coach Bartzokas’s squad have what it takes to make a third straight Final Four.

The Olympiacos Piraeus players come together after beating Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade in Round 32 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.

Georgios Bartzokas's side recorded a statement victory at Stark Arena in Round 32