A pair of veteran guards, Thomas Walkup and Shaquielle McKissic, looked ahead after making Olympiacos BC Piraeus's injury troubles seem like no big deal.

 McKissic, Walkup: Blowout in Kaunas just the beginning for Reds 

The news before Olympiacos Piraeus went to Lithuania in hopes of breaking a four-game home winning streak by Zalgiris Kaunas was that almost half of its backcourt didn't make the flight.

Nigel Williams-Goss, Giannoulis Larentzakis and Naz Mitrou-Long were all injured, which left it for the other guards to step up.

The news after [Olympiacos throttled their hosts 76-95](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/game-center/2023-24/zalgiris-kaunas-olympiacos-piraeus/E2023/239/) was that the Reds are not only deep, but they are extremely confident looking toward the rest of the playoffs race.

"I told the guys before the game that we should be trying to win all eight games left; there's no reason we can't," [Shaquielle McKissic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/shaquielle-mckissic/007853/) said after his team's tour de force before 15,000 disappointed Zalgiris fans. "I'm just trying to send a message to the EuroLeague."

McKissic and his partner in crime on Friday, staring point guard [Thomas Walkup](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/thomas-walkup/008855/), had plenty of reason to feel good about the message they were sending.

Walkup posted his career high with 22 points, added a game-high 7 assists and helped keep the wraps on Zalgiris star Keenan Evans. McKissic posted his season high with 20 points off the bench.

Thomas Walkup, Shaquielle Mckissic Highlights vs. Zalgiris Kaunas

Thomas Walkup Shaquielle Mckissic highlights vs Zalgiris Kaunas

Both made 5 of 5 two-point shots as Olympiacos had its second-best shooting rate inside the arc in the entire century, making 25 of 32 shots, or 78.1%. That also ranks 18th on any given night for any club since 2000.

So thorough was the Reds' march on Kaunas that the turnaround came on the last play of the first half, courtesy of McKissic. With 4.8 seconds left until halftime and the score tied 39-39, McKissic took the ball out of bounds at the far end of the court, as per the instructions of head coach Georgios Bartzokas. He got a pass back immediately and raced through the entire Zalgiris defense to dunk before the half ended. The game was never the same after that. 

Shaquielle McKissic goes coast-to-coast in 4.8 seconds to slam for an Olympiacos halftime lead.

MOTOROLA MAGIC MOMENT OF THE NIGHT: Shaq attacks on the buzzer!

"That play at the end of the first half was unbelievable," Walkup said. "One guy in the EuroLeague can make a play like this, and he's on our team. Helluva game, super happy for him. Shaq's back."

Like his backcourt mate, Walkup had a message to send, too.

"It's very important that we have an very experienced group that's been together for some time," he said. "At this point of the season, after the little break, it was super important to come back and refocus. These are the sort of games that champions find the ways to win. Really proud of our group today and we have to keep building. It doesn't stop here."

More Olympiacos News

The pair of veteran guards looked ahead after making their team's injury troubles seem like no big deal.

McKissic, Walkup: Blowout in Kaunas just the beginning for Reds

Zalgiris Kaunas v Olympiacos Piraeus (2024-03-01T18:00:00.000Z)

AS Monaco Basket secured the season sweep against FC Barcelona by winning 67-77 in Round 27 of the 2023-24 EuroLeague season.

Mike James ends with 17 points as Monaco Basket conquers Barça, 67-77

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Mike James of AS Monaco is guarded by Tomas Satoransky of FC Barcelona in Round 27 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.

The star guard now needs 12 points to become the EuroLeague's all-time leading scorer

Mike James ends with 17 points as Monaco conquers Barcelona, 67-77

FC Barcelona v AS Monaco (2024-03-01T19:30:00.000Z)

FC Bayern Basketball beat KK Crvena zvezda 74-66 at BMW Park in Round 27 of the 2023-24 EuroLeague season.

Bayern Basketball beats Crvena zvezda, 74-66, to keep playoff hopes alive

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Leandro Bolmaro of FC Bayern Munich is guarded by Adam Hanga of Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade in Round 27 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.

The German team was powered by big man Devin Booker, who returned to action with an impressive tally of 22 points and 6 rebounds

Bayern beats Zvezda, 74-66, to keep playoff hopes alive

FC Bayern Munich v Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade (2024-03-01T19:30:00.000Z)

LDLC ASVEL beat Olimpia Milano 81-77 at LDLC Arena in Round 27 of the 2023-24 EuroLeague season.

LDLC ASVEL stuns an undermanned Olimpia Milano, 81-77

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Paris Lee of LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne is guarded by Maodo Lo of EA7 Emporio Armani Milan in Round 27 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.

Nando De Colo pulled the strings on his return to action

ASVEL stuns an undermanned Milan, 81-77

LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne v EA7 Emporio Armani Milan (2024-03-01T19:00:00.000Z)

Olympiacos B.C. defeated Zalgiris Kaunas 76-95 at Zalgirio Arena in Round 27 of the 2023-24 EuroLeague season.

Olympiacos B.C. ruled in taking apart Zalgiris Kaunas, 76-95

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Isaiah Canaan of Olympiacos Piraeus is guarded by Keenan Evans of Zalgiris Kaunas in Round 27 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.

The Reds remain in the top-four race, with Thomas Walkup leading the charge in the win

Olympiacos ruled in taking apart Zalgiris, 76-95

Fenerbahçe Beko beat Baskonia 111-96 in Round 27 of the 2023-24 EuroLeague season.

Fenerbahçe Beko rides record offense to down Baskonia, 111-96

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Tyler Dorsey of Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul is guarded by Vanja Marinkovic of Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz in Round 27 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.

Nick Calathes also made history by tying the all-time record in steals

Fenerbahce rides record offense to down Baskonia, 111-96

Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul v Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz (2024-03-01T17:45:00.000Z)

After a two-week break, the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague returns with Round 27 delivering a thrilling selection of games in the race for the playoffs. Here's your guide to the action. 

This week: The action returns!

### Friday, March 1

[Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul 111-96 Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/euroleague-live-blog-fenerbahce-beko-istanbul-vs-baskonia-vitoria-gasteiz/)

Nick Calathes tied an all-time EuroLeague record in steals and Fenerbahce set a club record in scoring and assists in an 111-96 win over Baskonia on Friday night. The win improved Fenerbahce to a 16-11 record on the season and two wins up on Baskonia, which dropped to a 14-13 mark. In a high-scoring affair, Fenerbahce had 32 assists, the most ever by the club in EuroLeague action, and also hit 19 triples, one shy of a record. Meanwhile, Calathes has 2 steals, tying with Dimitris Diamantidis for the all-time lead in steals with 434.

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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/Baskonia?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Baskonia</a>: 111-96<br><br>Skor dağılımımız: Hayes-Davis 19, Biberovic 17, Sestina 14, Guduric 13, Calathes 11, Motley 11, Sertaç 8, Noua 7, Papagiannis 6, Dorsey 4, Wilbekin 1. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/YellowLegacy?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#YellowLegacy</a> <a href="https://t.co/AKQKCjBACp">pic.twitter.com/AKQKCjBACp</a></p>&mdash; Fenerbahçe Beko (@FBBasketbol) <a href="https://twitter.com/FBBasketbol/status/1763648256360198317?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 1, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

[Zalgiris Kaunas 76-95 Olympiacos Piraeus](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/euroleague-live-blog-zalgiris-kaunas-vs-olympiacos-bc/)

Olympiacos kept its feet firmly in the race for the top four with a no-doubt-about it 76-95 road win over Zalgiris . The victory extended the Olympiacos (16-11) winning streak to four while ending that of Zalgiris (11-16) at three. The Reds attacked the rim all night and their 25-for-32 two-point shooting, for a rate of 78.1% that has only been surpassed by two other teams this season, was the story of the game. Thomas Walkup starred with a career-high 22 points and 6 assists against his old team. Shaquielle McKissic came off the bench for a season-high 20 points while Alec Peters added 16 and Moses Wright 11. Keenan Evans scored 19 and Rolands Smits 17 for Zalgiris.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="lt" dir="ltr">Final score! 🏀 Zalgiris Kaunas - <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OlympiacosBC?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#OlympiacosBC</a> 76-95 (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/ZALOLY?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ZALOLY</a> <a href="https://t.co/5nHiBW3SPb">pic.twitter.com/5nHiBW3SPb</a></p>&mdash; Olympiacos B.C. (@Olympiacos_BC) <a href="https://twitter.com/Olympiacos_BC/status/1763653518076911885?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 1, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> 

[LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne 81-77 EA7 Emporio Armani Milan](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/euroleague-live-blog-ldlc-asvel-vs-olimpia-milano/)

ASVEL ended its three-game losing streak by defeating Milan 81-77 at LDLC Arena in Round 27 of the 2023-24 EuroLeague season. The hosts improved to 6-21 and moved up to second bottom in the standings, while Milan dropped to 11-16 and remains two wins behind the last play-in spot. Joffrey Lauvergne paced the hosts with 17 points, with Nando De Colo and Mike Scott netting 13 and 12, respectively. For the guests, Devon Hall led all scorers with 19 points, Maodo Lo bagged 15 and Kyle Hines added 11.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="fr" dir="ltr">LA PREMIÈRE VICTOIRE À LA LDLC ARENA ! <br><br>Dans une ambiance dingue à la <a href="https://twitter.com/LDLC_Arena?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@LDLC_Arena</a>, les Villeurbannais remportent ce match face à Milan ! 👌<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LDLCASVEL?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LDLCASVEL</a> <a href="https://t.co/vU4vuljtp4">pic.twitter.com/vU4vuljtp4</a></p>&mdash; LDLC ASVEL (@LDLCASVEL) <a href="https://twitter.com/LDLCASVEL/status/1763673463863029779?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 1, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

[FC Bayern Munich 74-66 Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/euroleague-live-blog-fc-bayern-basketball-vs-kk-crvena-zvezda/)

Bayern (12-15) rekindled its hopes of making the EuroLeague Playoffs with a well deserved 74-66 home win over Crvena Zvezda (10-17), whose own chances of reaching the postseason took yet another blow after a lackluster performance resulted in a fifth defeat in the last six games. Devin Booker paced the home side with a game-high 22 points and 6 rebounds. Serge Ibaka added 12 points and 8 rebounds for Bayern, which racked up 18 assists and 7 steals against only 8 turnovers. At the other end, Javonte Smart paced Zvezda with 13 points, Joel Bolomboy netted 11 points to go with 9 rebounds while Nemanja Nedovic added 10 points for the visitors.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">FINAL SCORE: We get the W and the tie-breaker over <a href="https://twitter.com/kkcrvenazvezda?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@kkcrvenazvezda</a>! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FCBB?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FCBB</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WeBallTogether?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WeBallTogether</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BAYCZV?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BAYCZV</a></p>&mdash; FC Bayern Basketball (@FCBBasketball) <a href="https://twitter.com/FCBBasketball/status/1763677686591819891?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 1, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

[FC Barcelona 67-77 AS Monaco](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/euroleague-live-blog-fc-barcelona-vs-as-monaco-basket/)

Monaco overcame early offensive struggles and fought back for a resounding 67-77 road win over Barcelona on Friday night. Mike James did not become the EuroLeague's all-time leading scoring, needing 29 points to climb atop the scoring charts, as he finished with 17 in Barcelona. However, he did make important buckets down the stretch to help Monaco improve to a 17-10 record. This win also gave Monaco a season sweep of Barcelona, which dropped to 18-9, still in lone possession of second place in the standings.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="fr" dir="ltr">🚀 𝗗𝘂 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗲̀𝗿𝗲, 𝗱𝗲 𝗹𝗮 𝗱𝗲́𝗳𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗲, 𝗱𝘂 𝗰œ𝘂𝗿 ! ❤️‍🔥<br><br>✅️ La <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RocaTeam?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RocaTeam</a> va chercher une magnifique victoire collective sur le parquet du Barça 🤩💥<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/9RzluxDu9c">pic.twitter.com/9RzluxDu9c</a></p>&mdash; AS Monaco Basket 🇲🇨 (@ASMonaco_Basket) <a href="https://twitter.com/ASMonaco_Basket/status/1763677906964799678?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 1, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

### Thursday, February 29

[ALBA Berlin 71-106 Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/euroleague-live-blog-alba-berlin-vs-maccabi-tel-aviv-bc/)

Maccabi took care of business on Thursday night at Mercedes-Benz Arena in the German capital with a 71-106 victory to improve to 14-13 on the season. James Webb led the Israeli champs with 17 points off the bench, Wade Baldwin added 16 points and 5 assists and Josh Nebo netted 15. Maccabi outrebounded ALBA 29-37 and shot 82.5% on two-pointers in two of the key stats. Johannes Thiemenn scored 14 and Sterling Brown 11 for ALBA; which dropped to last place with a 5-22 record. 

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="iw" dir="rtl">שוב על מסלול הניצחונות! <br>לסיקור וסטטיסטיקה &gt;&gt; <a href="https://t.co/nvgek6Mb6h">https://t.co/nvgek6Mb6h</a> <a href="https://t.co/epzljRNLXh">pic.twitter.com/epzljRNLXh</a></p>&mdash; Maccabi Tel Aviv BC 🇮🇱​ (@MaccabiTLVBC) <a href="https://twitter.com/MaccabiTLVBC/status/1763303395207614877?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 29, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

[Virtus Segafredo Bologna 87-74 Valencia Basket](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/euroleague-live-blog-virtus-bologna-vs-valencia-basket/)

Virtus got back to winning ways by beating Valencia 87-74 in Round 27 of the 2023-24 EuroLeague season. The Italian side now holds the head-to-head advantage after Valencia won their first meeting 79-71. With this victory, Virtus improved to a 17-10 record, while Valencia dropped to 13-14. Marco Belinelli led Virtus with 16 points, while Jordan Mickey paired his 14 points with 7 rebounds. Isaia Cordinier netted 12 points and Iffe Lundberg added 11. For Valencia, a red-hot Chris Jones scored a game-high 20 points, but none of his teammates managed to register double digits in scoring.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="it" dir="ltr">WIN WIN WIN ⚪️⚫️<br>La Segafredo torna subito alla vittoria in casa in Eurolega 😎✨<br><br>🔢 Belinelli 16, Mickey 14, Cordinier 12, Lundberg 11, Pajola 9, Dunston 8, Polonara 5, Hackett 5, Zizic 4, Abass 3<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AmarsiAncora?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AmarsiAncora</a> <a href="https://t.co/lAR8pKVBmG">pic.twitter.com/lAR8pKVBmG</a></p>&mdash; Virtus Segafredo Bologna (@VirtusSegafredo) <a href="https://twitter.com/VirtusSegafredo/status/1763315464858439965?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 29, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

[Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade 100-90 Anadolu Efes Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/euroleague-live-blog-kk-partizan-vs-anadolu-efes-sk/)

Partizan snapped a three-game losing streak and revived its hopes of making the playoffs with a spectacular 100-90 home win over Efes on the back of 30 points from guard Aleksa Avramovic, who came off the bench to produce an inspired performance inside Stark Arena. Zach LeDay racked up 21 points and 8 rebounds for Partizan, team captain Kevin Punter added 16 points and Danilo Andjusic chipped in with 15. At the other end, Will Clyburn paced Efes with 17 points, while Tibor Pleiss netted 13 and Shane Larkin scored 11. Tyrique Jones added 10 points for Efes, whose postseason hopes are now fading after a tough loss in Belgrade.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="und" dir="ltr">BRAVO CRNO-BELI!✊🏽⚫️⚪️<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KKPartizan?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KKPartizan</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EuroLeague?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EuroLeague</a> <a href="https://t.co/fm1Bt1GKWF">pic.twitter.com/fm1Bt1GKWF</a></p>&mdash; KK Partizan Mozzart Bet (@PartizanBC) <a href="https://twitter.com/PartizanBC/status/1763315472399777969?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 29, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

[Real Madrid 86-97 Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/euroleague-live-blog-real-madrid-baloncesto-vs-panathinaikos-bc/)

Panathinaikos ended an 11-year losing run in the Spanish capital and handed Real Madrid its first home loss of the EuroLeague season with a spectacular 86-97 triumph at WiZink Center. The Greens launched a 4-18 run in the second quarter to take control and later withstood several comeback attempts to grab a statement-making victory. Mathias Lessort inspired Panathinaikos with 26 points, most of which came courtesy of spectacular slam dunks, along with 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals and 1 blocked shot. He had plenty of help from the backcourt, with Kendrick Nunn providing 17 points and 7 assists while Kostas Sloukas scored 16 plus 6 helpers.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Final score ☘️<a href="https://twitter.com/RMBaloncesto?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RMBaloncesto</a> - <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/paobcaktor?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#paobcaktor</a> 86-97<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WeTheGreens?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WeTheGreens</a> <a href="https://t.co/jXU0ZzdsIU">pic.twitter.com/jXU0ZzdsIU</a></p>&mdash; Panathinaikos BC (@paobcgr) <a href="https://twitter.com/paobcgr/status/1763319135449010657?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 29, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Following a two-week break, sit back and enjoy the most competitive basketball league in the world

Game Center: Fener, Oly, Monaco grab huge wins in the playoff race

Real Madrid v Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens (2024-02-29T19:45:00.000Z)

Virtus Segafredo Bologna v Valencia Basket (2024-02-29T19:30:00.000Z)

Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade v Anadolu Efes Istanbul (2024-02-29T19:30:00.000Z)

ALBA Berlin v Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv (2024-02-29T19:00:00.000Z)

Zalgiris and Olympiacos, two of the hottest EuroLeague teams, collide at Zalgirio Arena on Friday night.

Here comes big Kaunas showdown with winning streaks on the line

A beautiful venue in Kaunas has been sold out for more than a month for the showdown between Zalgiris Kaunas (11-15) and Olympiacos Piraeus (15-11), two teams that come into this game with the intention of continuing the success they had just before the February break.

Both sides are on three-game winning streaks and both have won four of their last five games. These runs have put Zalgiris and Olympiacos in position to make one final run and accomplish their goals set before the season. That finishing run starts on Friday.

For Zalgiris, the goal in question is reaching the postseason. The Lithuanian champion had a 5-12 record at the end of 2023 when the club parted ways with Kazys Maksvytis and appointed Andrea Trinchieri as a new head coach. Under Trinchieri, Zalgiris has won six of its last nine games and has won all four on its home floor. Each of its last three home wins has come by at least 12 points and by an average margin of 20.3 points.

[Keenan Evans](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/keenan-evans/011218/) has stepped up tremendously since Trinchieri's arrival, posting 19.4 points and averaging 3.3 three-pointers made on an impressive 51.7% three-point shooting. Only two players in the league have scored more and only three players have made more than Evans's 30 three-pointers in 2024.

In last three home games, all Zalgiris Kaunas double-digit victories, Keenan Evans is 8-for-12 from three-point range

Keenan Evans has been hot from downtown

Up-and-coming center [Laurynas Birutis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/laurynas-birutis/005504/) has been the only other player under Trinichieri posting in double figures (10.8 ppg.), while [Rolands Smits](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/rolands-smits/007109/) (9.7 ppg.), [Edgaras Ulanovas](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/edgaras-ulanovas/002329/) (8.6 ppg.) and [Brady Manek](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/brady-manek/012715/) (8.4 ppg.) have made significant scoring contributions. For comparison, in the first half of the regular season, only two players (Evans with 15.9 ppg. and Smits with 12.5 ppg.) scored more than 8.4 points per game.

But what the team has also done is step up on the defensive end. In four home games since the coaching change, Zalgiris has not allowed more than 72 points in any, averaging 70.3 per game, all while scoring 87.8 on average in those four.

Now, that offense will get tested against the EuroLeague's best scoring defense as no team has allowed fewer points this season than Olympiacos (75.2 ppg.).

Unlike Zalgiris, which has used its home court to make a run and catch up in the playoff race, the Reds used back-to-back road wins, in Valencia and in Munich, to get back in the race for home-court advantage in the playoffs.

The only Olympiacos loss since mid-January was a 90-85 road defeat against league-leading Real Madrid. During that span, Olympiacos had injury problems with their big men as [Moustapha Fall](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/moustapha-fall/008811/) and then [Nikola Milutinov](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/nikola-milutinov/003941/) went down with injuries. Each player appeared only once in this five-game span, but that did not stop the Reds as the team put its depth on display to keep rolling.

The Reds target a third success in succession when contesting a Zalgiris squad wishing to restore themselves to the postseason-conversation. The Greeks hope Moustapha Fall can continue to dominate the boards as the Lithuanians try to counter him with the in-form Laurynas Birutis.

Olympiacos Piraeus-Zalgiris Kaunas | Round 10 Highlights | 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

[Kostas Papanikolaou](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/kostas-papanikolaou/001255/), the EuroLeague all-time leader with 299 career starts, moved into a role off the bench and has averaged 9.0 points on 47.8% three-point shooting with 2.6 assists, while [Filip Petrusev](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/filip-petrusev/011194/) contributed with 7.3 points and 4.0 rebounds and former Zalgiris star [Ignas Brazdeikis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/ignas-brazdeikis/011983/) with 7.3 points and 3.0 rebounds. Each of these three players improved his scoring averages by at least 3 points during this five-game stretch.

Those, of course, are in addition to [Alec Peters](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/alec-peters/008829/), who is playing the best basketball of his career (14.3 ppg., 5.1 rpg.), and [Isaiah Canaan](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/isaiah-canaan/010612/) (12.7 ppg., 46.6% 3FG) helping lead the way. And it was those two - Canaan with 25 points and Peters with 22 - who [led Olympiacos to an 89-72 win over Zalgiris in Round 10](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/game-center/2023-24/olympiacos-piraeus-zalgiris-kaunas/E2023/89/).

A lot has changed and happened since, but Olympiacos is right where it wants to be with eight games to go. A win in Kaunas would give the Reds a massive push in the playoff race and Coach Georgios Bartzokas's men are certainly determined to get the job done.

However, the super-confident hosts at the packed Zalgirio Arena will have plenty to say in this one.

The last night of Round 27 opens with an alluring matchup of back-to-back teams in the top half of the standings who staged a classic in their first meeting this season.

Fenerbahce, Baskonia tip off Friday with a pivotal rematch

As far apart geographically as almost any pair of Turkish Airlines EuroLeague teams, [Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul and Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/game-center/2023-24/fenerbahce-beko-istanbul-baskonia-vitoria-gasteiz/E2023/242/#info) could hardly be nearer each other in the [standings](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/standings/) as they meet in a pivotal clash at Ulker Sports and Event Hall on the Asian side of the Bosphorus Strait on Friday.

With a victory, Fenerbahce (15-11) could go two wins ahead of the visitors with seven rounds remaining, solidifying its seventh place in the table to take aim at the fixed playoff spots above.

Conversely, Baskonia (14-12) could conceivable jump from eighth to sixth place with a win if Olympiacos Piraeus loses an hour later on the road at Zalgiris Kaunas. All three teams would then be tied with 15-12 records, but Baskonia will have swept both of the others.

### Triple-double test: Calathes vs. Miller-McIntyre

Apart from the high, late-season stakes, this game is already unique in EuroLeague history for featuring two players with triple-doubles to their names. 

[Nick Calathes](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/nick-calathes/001932/) of Fenerbahce notched his almost five years ago, on April 4, 2019, with 11 points, 18 assists and 11 rebounds for Panathinaikos Athens against Buducnost Podgorica to join the great Nikola Vujcic as just the second EuroLeague player this century to post a triple-double.

[Codi Miller-McIntyre](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/codi-miller-mcintyre/009048/) of Baskonia became the third and newest name on that list earlier this month, in his previous EuroLeague game, putting up 11 points, 11 rebounds and a league-record 20 assists in a 94-80 home win over LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne.

What's more, Calathes -- [who is already the EuroLeague's career leader in total assists with 2,003](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/stats/expanded/?size=25&viewType=traditional&statisticMode=accumulated&seasonMode=All&sortDirection=descending&statistic=assistances) -- sits just three steals away from taking over first place all-time in that category, too. [Calathes has 432 steals to date](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/stats/expanded/?size=25&viewType=traditional&statisticMode=accumulated&seasonMode=All&sortDirection=descending&statistic=steals), while his former teammate Dimitris Diamantidis tops the list with 434.

Miller-McIntyre, for his part, came within 1 rebound of another triple-double on his first trip to Istanbul this season, in which [Baskonia won 80-87](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/game-center/2023-24/anadolu-efes-istanbul-baskonia-vitoria-gasteiz/E2023/140/#boxscore) at Anadolu Efes Istanbul. He had 14 points, 9 rebounds and 10 assists in that game.

Heroics were required when Baskonia and Fenerbahce met in Round 12

### Long-distance duel: Howard vs. Wilbekin

There's plenty more than passers to watch in the backcourts on Friday, however. This game also features the two most prolific three-point shooters of the last two seasons.

Baskonia's [Marcus Howard](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/markus-howard/011948/) [ranks first in triples made](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/stats/expanded/?size=25&viewType=traditional&fromSeasonCode=E2022&toSeasonCode=E2023&statisticMode=accumulated&seasonMode=Range&sortDirection=descending&statistic=fieldGoalsMade3) not only this season (99) but since the beginning of the last one (187), when he debuted in the EuroLeague. [Scottie Wilbekin](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/scottie-wilbekin/006661/) of Fenerbahce is right behind him in second place, both this season (78) and the last two combined (133). Their percentages are virtually the same, though, so their showdown on Friday might well be a question of who gets hot and who defends the other better.

Indeed, to understand how thin the margins can be in this playoffs race, it was Howard's three-pointer with 7 seconds left back in Round 12 on December 6 that [gave Baskonia an 80-79 victory](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/game-center/2023-24/baskonia-vitoria-gasteiz-fenerbahce-beko-istanbul/E2023/106/#boxscore) at home despite having trailed Fenerbahce by 15 points early in that game. Miller-McIntyre's put-back dunk just before the halftime buzzer that night is a candidate for play of the year.

Markus Howard missed but Codi Miller-McIntyre destroys the rim with a huge put-back dunk! WOW!