LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne defeated Zalgiris Kaunas 93-79 in Round 19 of the 2023-24 EuroLeague Regular Season.

ASVEL ends slide with 93-79 triumph over Zalgiris

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EuroLeague Live Blog: LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne vs. Zalgiris Kaunas.

Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot, Youssoupha Fall and Paris Lee combined for 71 points to lead the winners. 

LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne v Zalgiris Kaunas (2024-01-04T19:00:00.000Z)

Olympiacos B.C. held off AS Monaco Basket 75-73 in a thriller in Round 19 of the 2023-24 EuroLeague Regular Season.

Olympiacos holds off Monaco, 75-73, in thriller

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EuroLeague Live Blog: Olympiacos Piraeus vs. AS Monaco.

Shaq McKissic broke a 69-69 tie with a three-pointer with 22 seconds remaining.

Olympiacos Piraeus v AS Monaco (2024-01-04T19:15:00.000Z)

KK Crvena zvezda defeated archrival KK Partizan 88-72 in the second Eternal Derby of the 2023-24 EuroLeague season.

Crvena Zvezda captures 88-72 derby win

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EuroLeague Live Blog: Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade vs. Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade.

Nemanja Nedovic led six Zvezda scorers in double figures with 16 points. 

Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade v Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade (2024-01-04T19:00:00.000Z)

Fenerbahce never takes foot off gas, sets club scoring record in blowout of Maccabi

Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul players and coaching staff were pleased with the team’s record-setting 109-74 victory over Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv, as the Turkish side never took the foot off the gas in playing strong for the full 40 minutes.

Fenerbahce’s 109 points set a new club mark, topping the 107 points the team scored four times, most recently against Panathinaikos Athens in November 2022. The blowout was close to a number of other records.

The 35-point difference was the fourth largest ever for Fenerbahce in a EuroLeague game. The club's best is 43 points from 2001-02 and it was the second-widest margin since Ulker became Fenerbahce.

Maccabi meanwhile suffered its second-largest defeat in a EuroLeague game - the worst loss being 39 points against Galatasaray in 2016-17.

“It was a good win. We didn’t let up in the second half even though we had a comfortable lead. It was good,” said Tyler Dorsey, who scored 21 points to lead six Fenerbahce in double figures. “We had yet put together a 40-minute game and I think we did that tonight. We didn’t let up. We kept our foot on the gas. It was our first comfortable win, hopefully we can add some more during the year.”

Game Videos

Head coach Saras Jasikevicius was happy with his team’s performance, which resulted in a fifth win in six games since he was hired.

“We had a great mentality. We were playing hard for long periods of time. As soon as we started to let up a little bit Maccabi started to make some runs. But we were pretty solid throughout the whole game,” Jasikevicius said.

Fenerbahce was effective in stopping what Maccabi really had done well in winning four of its previous five games.

The home side forced 26 Maccabi turnovers and held the number one offensive rebounding team to 11 boards on that end. Maccabi also really likes to push the ball in transition, something Fenerbahce did not allow either.

Fenerbahce outscored Maccabi 24-5 in points off turnovers as well as 16-7 in fast break points.

"That was our main focus. We did a great job on that - we limited them to one shot a lot of times and we were able to get out and run. And it yielded us a very comfortable win,” added Nigel Hayes-Davis.

Game News

The club bounced back nicely from its first loss of the Sarunas Jasikevicius era with a monster night on both ends. 

Fenerbahce sets club scoring record in blowout of Maccabi

Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul v Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv (2024-01-04T17:45:00.000Z)

Fenerbahçe Beko Istanbul set a club scoring record as it routed Maccabi Tel Aviv B.C. 109-74 in Panevezys, Lithuania, in Round 19 of the 2023-24 EuroLeague Regular Season.

Fenerbahce pounds Maccabi, 109-74

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EuroLeague Live Blog: Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul vs. Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv.

The winners establishes a new club record for scoring in the rout. 

Round 19 in the 2023-24 EuroLeague season has officially come to an end, with a historic game between Real Madrid Baloncesto and Anadolu Efes S.K. seeing us over the line.

Game Center: Round 19 is officially in the books!

### Friday, January 5

[ALBA Berlin 68-83 Virtus Segafredo Bologna](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/euroleague-live-blog-alba-berlin-vs-virtus-bologna/)

Virtus Segafredo Bologna used a monster first quarter to take an early lead and never look back on the way to a 68-83 victory over host ALBA Berlin, as the Italian side retained its hold on second place. Virtus improved to 14-5 while ALBA dropped to 3-16 and now shares last place. A 9-26 difference in the first 10 minutes eventually gave Virtus a high lead of 22-48 shortly before halftime. ALBA was able to rally within 49-58 with a 22-10 start to the third quarter, but Virtus restored its double-digit advantage and kept raising it the rest of the way.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="it" dir="ltr">WIN WIN WIN ⚪️⚫️<br>La Virtus nel primo tempo scava il solco, nel secondo tempo gestisce 💪🏼🔥<br><br>🔢 Shengelia 12, Dunston 12, Lundberg 11, Hackett 10, Belinelli 9, Abass 9, Zizic 7, Pajola 6, Cordinier 3, Lomasz 2, Polonara 2<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AmarsiAncora?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AmarsiAncora</a> <a href="https://t.co/UgAbjRsEjM">pic.twitter.com/UgAbjRsEjM</a></p>&mdash; Virtus Segafredo Bologna (@VirtusSegafredo) <a href="https://twitter.com/VirtusSegafredo/status/1743359857435054101?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 5, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

[Valencia Basket 81-82 Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/euroleague-live-blog-valencia-basket-vs-panathinaikos-bc/)

Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens earned a dramatic 81-82 win at Valencia Basket and improved to 11-8 after snapping its 18-game losing streak against Spanish opposition on the road. The Greens also celebrated their fifth victory in the last six games, while Valencia dropped to 11-9 after throwing away a 7-point lead in the fourth quarter.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Final score ☘️<a href="https://twitter.com/valenciabasket?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@valenciabasket</a> - <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/paobcaktor?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#paobcaktor</a> 81-82<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WeTheGreens?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WeTheGreens</a> <a href="https://t.co/9HqC7YbZoK">pic.twitter.com/9HqC7YbZoK</a></p>&mdash; Panathinaikos BC (@paobcgr) <a href="https://twitter.com/paobcgr/status/1743387682963587112?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 5, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

[FC Barcelona 89-85 Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/euroleague-live-blog-barca-basket-vs-saski-baskonia/)

FC Barcelona rounded a perfect double-round week by edging Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz 89-85 at Palau Blaugrana on Friday. Barcelona improved to 13-6 in the standings, while Baskonia dropped to 10-9. Jan Vesely led the winners with 23 points in less than 22 minutes. Jabari Parker added 17, Willy Hernangomez had 16, Joel Parra 13 and Tomas Satoransky 10 for Barca. Markus Howard led Baskonia with 21 points. Tadas Sedekerskis added 14, Matt Costello 11 and Codi Miller-McIntyre 10 for the guests.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="ca" dir="ltr">𝐕𝐈𝐂𝐓𝐎̀𝐑𝐈𝐀𝐀𝐀𝐀𝐀! Quin regal de Reis, culers 🤩 <a href="https://t.co/81CZMrwSi0">pic.twitter.com/81CZMrwSi0</a></p>&mdash; Barça Basket (@FCBbasket) <a href="https://twitter.com/FCBbasket/status/1743384336760492319?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 5, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

[EA7 Emporio Armani Milan 76-62 FC Bayern Munich](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/euroleague-live-blog-olimpia-milano-vs-fc-bayern-basketball/)

EA7 Emporio Armani Milan finished the double-round week with a split as it raced away from FC Bayern Munich late for a 76-62 home victory. Despite missing a number of its top stars, Milan mounted a 20-2 fourth quarter run to improve to 8-11 with three wins in the last four home games. Bayern lost its second game this week in Italy and fell to 8-11, including a 2-9 road record.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="it" dir="ltr">Oioioi oioioioi Bortolani segna per noi!! ✅💪🏻<br>Un’Olimpia attenta e sempre in controllo della partita vince 76 - 62.<br><br>(Hall 19 pts, Bortolani 12, Poythress 10)<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/insieme?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#insieme</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/olimpimilano?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#olimpimilano</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ForzaOlimpia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ForzaOlimpia</a> <a href="https://t.co/JlIDMIMkuC">pic.twitter.com/JlIDMIMkuC</a></p>&mdash; Olimpia Milano (@OlimpiaMI1936) <a href="https://twitter.com/OlimpiaMI1936/status/1743386230060925187?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 5, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

[Real Madrid 130-126 Anadolu Efes Istanbul (after 4OT)](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/euroleague-live-blog-real-madrid-baloncesto-vs-anadolu-efes-sk/)

In a game that was unlike anything seen before in the EuroLeague, Real Madrid beat Efes 130-126 after quadruple overtime. This game not only set a series of all-time EuroLeague records, but was a thriller that saw Real Madrid score baskets to extend the contest at the end of regulation, and the end of second and third overtimes, including a 9-0 run in double OT capped by a buzzer-beating hook shot from Mario Hezonja.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="es" dir="ltr">👏 ¡Nos llevamos la victoria! 👏<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HalaMadrid?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HalaMadrid</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/UnicajaBanco?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@UnicajaBanco</a> <a href="https://t.co/K6iJbDzMVb">pic.twitter.com/K6iJbDzMVb</a></p>&mdash; Real Madrid Basket (@RMBaloncesto) <a href="https://twitter.com/RMBaloncesto/status/1743405137853403495?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 5, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

### Thursday, January 4

[Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul 109-74 Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/euroleague-live-blog-fenerbahce-beko-vs-maccabi-tel-aviv/)

Fenerbahce bounced back in record fashion from its home loss 48 hours earlier by overwhelming Maccabi  109-74 in Panevezys, Lithuania. A powerful 35-9 second quarter pushed the hosts to a new club scoring record in points, topping the 107 points scored against Panathinaikos in November 2022. Fenerbahce is now 11-8 overall and 5-1 under new head coach Sarunas Jasikevicius. Tyler Dorsey's 21 points paced six Fenerbahce double-digit scorers while Johnathan Motley added 17, Scottie Wilbekin and Georgios Papagiannis 14 each. The team's 147 index rating was the second-highest in club history. Maccabi dropped to 11-8 after having won four of its last five games. Bonzie Colson and Wade Baldwin both scored 13 points.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">An utterly dominant win for <a href="https://twitter.com/FBBasketbol?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FBBasketbol</a> this evening<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EveryGameMatters?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EveryGameMatters</a> <a href="https://t.co/TaAm4ODtNk">pic.twitter.com/TaAm4ODtNk</a></p>&mdash; Turkish Airlines EuroLeague (@EuroLeague) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague/status/1742991397186142303?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 4, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> 

[LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne 93-79 Zalgiris Kaunas](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/euroleague-live-blog-ldlc-asvel-vs-zalgiris-kaunas/)

ASVEL enjoyed its fist home win of the season after dominating Zalgiris at the Astroballe on Thursday night. The hosts never trailed, amassing a 23-17 lead after 10 minutes that kept growing to a game-high 18-point margin late in the third quarter. Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot led all scorers with 27 points, on an almost perfect shooting night, going for 10-of-11 from the field. Youssoupha Fall followed with a double-double of 22 points and 12 rebounds for a PIR of 36, while Paris Lee also netted 22 points plus assists for the victors. Keenan Evans had 21 points to pace Zalgiris. ASVEL improved to 2-17 as Zalgiris slipped to 6-13.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="fr" dir="ltr">LA VICTOIRE À LA MAISON ! 😍<br><br>Les Villeurbannais s’imposent face au <a href="https://twitter.com/bczalgiris?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@bczalgiris</a> et commencent parfaitement l’année à la maison ! Quel plaisir ! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LDLCASVEL?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LDLCASVEL</a> <a href="https://t.co/AxX8GMtfPG">pic.twitter.com/AxX8GMtfPG</a></p>&mdash; LDLC ASVEL (@LDLCASVEL) <a href="https://twitter.com/LDLCASVEL/status/1743020135609139542?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 4, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

[Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade 88-72 Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/euroleague-live-blog-kk-crvena-zvezda-vs-kk-partizan/)

Zvezda overwhelmed Partizan in a one sided city derby to complete a perfect double-round week after an impressive road win at Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul, improving to 8-11 while Partizan dropped to 10-9 after losing three of its last four. A superbly balanced team effort saw Nemanja Nedovic lead Zvezda with 16 points, while Rokas Giedraitis and Freddie Gillespie posted 14 each. At the other end, captain Kevin Punter paced Partizan with 17 points. 

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Dominant performance to come out on top in the derby 🎇<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/kkcz?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#kkcz</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WeAreTheTeam?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WeAreTheTeam</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EveryGameMatters?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EveryGameMatters</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/sportmts?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@sportmts</a> <a href="https://t.co/eBxDIjccZT">pic.twitter.com/eBxDIjccZT</a></p>&mdash; KK Crvena zvezda Meridianbet (@kkcrvenazvezda) <a href="https://twitter.com/kkcrvenazvezda/status/1743017816217784637?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 4, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

[Olympiacos Piraeus 75-73 AS Monaco](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/euroleague-live-blog-olympiacos-bc-vs-as-monaco-basket/)

Olympiacos claimed its fourth straight victory and improved to 11-8 by grinding out a tough but thrilling 75-73 victory over AS Monaco, which has now lost four of its last six and drops to 10-9. Monaco led nearly all the way but the host had the better of the latter exchanges, and a three-point strike from Shaq McKissic – his third of the night – with 22 seconds left proved decisive. Thomas Walkup led Olympiacos with 9 points, 9 assists, 7 rebounds and excellent defense on Mike James, while Isaiah Canaan top scored with 16 points. Monaco was paced by big man Mam Jaiteh with a season-high 14 points.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="es" dir="ltr">Final 🏀 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OlympiacosBC?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#OlympiacosBC</a> - AS Monaco 75-73 (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/OLYASM?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#OLYASM</a> <a href="https://t.co/NLOW52h0o5">pic.twitter.com/NLOW52h0o5</a></p>&mdash; OLYMPIACOS BC (@Olympiacos_BC) <a href="https://twitter.com/Olympiacos_BC/status/1743020752020926721?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 4, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Another round of action in the most exciting basketball league in the world has come to an end.

Game Center: Real Madrid, PAO come out on top in thrillers; Barca, Milan also victorious

Real Madrid v Anadolu Efes Istanbul (2024-01-05T19:45:00.000Z)

Valencia Basket v Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens (2024-01-05T19:30:00.000Z)

FC Barcelona v Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz (2024-01-05T19:30:00.000Z)

EA7 Emporio Armani Milan v FC Bayern Munich (2024-01-05T19:30:00.000Z)

ALBA Berlin v Virtus Segafredo Bologna (2024-01-05T18:00:00.000Z)

The two eternal Serbian rivals, Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade (7-11) and Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade (10-8), had never met in the Europe's elite competition before last season, but even an occasional basketball fan knows by now that these games have become a festival for the senses. An eye-pleasing, jam-packed 18,000-seat arena with fans jumping up and down while painted in home-team colors and letting out ear-ringing cheers and boos seem to make the foundations shake at times.

Belgrade Derby ready for another high-stakes chapter

The two eternal Serbian rivals, Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade (7-11) and Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade (10-8), had never met in the Europe's elite competition before last season, but even an occasional basketball fan knows by now that these games have become a festival for the senses.

An eye-pleasing, jam-packed 18,000-seat arena with fans jumping up and down while painted in home-team colors and letting out ear-ringing cheers and boos seem to make the foundations shake at times.

### Drama-filled derbies

Equally important for the entire experience is that heart-stopping on-court drama that each of their three clashes so far have produced. Not only did every game go down to the wire, but all wre decided by 3 points or less.

In their first-ever EuroLeague meeting, Zvezda rallied to stun Partizan 73-76 on a [game-winning three-pointer from Nemanja Nedovic](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLZWVTSn7xE), only for Partizan to return the favor and take a 78-79 victory later last season. Earlier this season, Partizan rallied from a 13-point fourth-quarter deficit to pull out an 88-86 win.

Partizan-Zvezda | Round 5 Highlights | 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

In that Round 5 game, Partizan lost Kevin Punter to injury in the fourth quarter, but had Aleksa Avramovic to step up. Punter has returned from injury and is coming off a 22-point performance in 19 minutes two days ago against LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne, but the team will be missing Avramovic on Thursday and, potentially, Zach LeDay.

But regardless of who is available or not, the Thursday night showdown promises to continue the now-established tradition of delivering thrill and drama.

Also, both Zvezda and Partizan are entering this Round 19 game on the rise, which feels especially true for the hosts.

### Awakened Zvezda

Just two weeks ago, Zvezda was a disappointing 5-10 and faced three consecutive road games. But head coach Ioannis Sfairopoulos's men found a way to bounce back, first sinking Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv. Then, after losing to Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens, Zvezda rallied from a double-digit second-half deficit on Tuesday to send Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul into its first loss under Sarunas Jasikevicius.

During this period, the team also parted ways with star guard Shabazz Napier while bringing back one of world's great young talents, 18-year Nikola Topic. Meanwhile, Joel Bolomboy is playing the best basketball of his career and we have seen vintage performances from Milos Teodosic, who will be poised to win in the Belgrade derby for the first time.

This entire sequence of events gave Zvezda a boost, not only to the players but also re-igniting the belief of its fans. Not that the fans needed a special invitation for the derby against Partizan, but the numbers and the way in which they waiting a blocks-long lines for tickets to Thursday's spectacle speaks for itself.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="und" dir="ltr">Redovi za karte ispred prostorija SD Crvena zvezda u Ljutice Bogdana 1a za predstojeći večiti derbi u Evroligi 👀🔥<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/kkcz?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#kkcz</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/crvenobelaporodica?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#crvenobelaporodica</a> <a href="https://t.co/xE5zcj36rC">pic.twitter.com/xE5zcj36rC</a></p>&mdash; KK Crvena zvezda Meridianbet (@kkcrvenazvezda) <a href="https://twitter.com/kkcrvenazvezda/status/1742162403981218019?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 2, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> 

### Partizan searches for more success

Unlike Zvezda, Partizan's rise started more than a month ago. Head coach Zeljko Obradovic's team had an impressive run of five straight wins in late November through mid-December, beating Panathinaikos, AS Monaco and EA7 Emporio Armani Milan at home, then Zalgiris Kaunas and Valencia Basket on the road.

Partizan then shook off back-to-back losses against Real Madrid and Virtus Segafredo Bologna, the top two teams in the standings, by dismissing LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne on Tuesday.

In that game, no player spent more than 23 minutes on the floor as the team remained fresh for the task coming 48 hours later.

While Partizan will be facing a hostile atmosphere, what will play in its favor is remaining at home during the double-round week and playing in the same Stark Arena where seven different players combined to knock down 12 three-pointers against ASVEL on Tuesday.

Zvezda had to return from Istanbul ahead of this derby, but in this type of game environment, the amount of rest a team has or doesn't is less likely to be a key factor, especially for the home team, which will have more than 18,000 souls giving the team a lift from the stands.

All involved, the players and the fans alike, know that Zvezda's third win in four games would bring it within two wins of a 10th place in the standings, the one that leads to the new Play-In Showdown that gives passage to the playoffs. Meanwhile, a victory by Partizan would solidify its own place in a playoff battle, and put it very much in the race for a historically crucial top-four finish.

With so much at stake, this clash of Belgrade archrivals is again one you do not want to miss.

It could be the EuroLeague's newest traditional rivalry, but Belgrade derbies have quickly taught us that they do not disappoint.

Jabari Parker, Oscar da Silva and Tomas Satoransky spoke with Euroleague.net's Javier Gancedo after Barça Basket beat Real Madrid Baloncesto 83-78 in El Clásico.

Barça Basket players on El Clásico win: 'The sense of urgency was there'

Wednesday night saw [FC Barcelona defeat archrival Real Madrid 83-78](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/euroleague-live-blog-barca-basket-vs-real-madrid-baloncesto/) in Round 18 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague campaign, with this being first *Clásico* to take place at Palau Blaugrana this season. After the game, [Jabari Parker](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/jabari-parker/012745/), [Tomas Satoransky](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/tomas-satoransky/002939/) and [Oscar da Silva](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/oscar-da-silva/011244/) reflected on a key win for their team.

Barca was able to bounce back in style following a couple of ugly losses, as Roger Grimau's men had the perfect start to 2024. It was Barca's first win against *Los Blancos* this season after three consecutive losses in different competitions.

Upon the conclusion of the game, we went to the locker room to talk with Satoransky, Parker and Da Silva, three of Barca's starters in this outstanding victory.

"Let's hope that 2024 will start in a much better way than how we finished 2023," Satoransky stated in the locker room. "December was probably one of the worst months for me in Barcelona. I think sometimes it's good going through this; you can see yourself in the mirror."

More Barcelona News

Barca players on El Clásico win: 'The sense of urgency was there'

Jabari Parker, Tomas Satoransky and Oscar da Silva spoke to Euroleague.net's Javier Gancedo after a thrilling victory over Real Madrid.

FC Barcelona v Real Madrid (2024-01-03T20:00:00.000Z)

Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade and Partizan go head-to-back, Olympiacos Piraeus and AS Monaco meet again after facing off in last year's semifinals, and there's also a repeat of the 2022 championship game between Real Madrid and Anadolu Efes Istanbul.

The Eternal Derby and a couple of Final Four rematches headline Round 19's action

### Thursday, January 4

[Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul vs. Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2023-24/fenerbahce-beko-istanbul-maccabi-playtika-tel-aviv/E2023/165/)

Fenerbahce (10-8) will look to bounce back from Tuesday's shock home loss to Zvezda by overcoming Maccabi (11-7), which is riding high in fourth place after winning four of the last five. Maccabi edged the Round 9 meeting between these teams 78-73 behind 18 points from former Fener man [Lorenzo Brown](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/lorenzo-brown/009622/). Sarunas Jasikevicius's men know they also have to pay special attention to [Bonzie Colson](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/bonzie-colson/009783/) after he blasted 27 points in Maccabi's Tuesday win over Monaco. To counter him, Fenerbahce has [Nigel Hayes-Davis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/nigel-hayes-davis/008962/) in great form with 24 and 21 points in the last two games.

[LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne vs. Zalgiris Kaunas](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2023-24/ldlc-asvel-villeurbanne-zalgiris-kaunas/E2023/164/) 

After starting his spell as head coach of Zalgiris (6-12) with victory, Andrea Trinchieri will look to complete a perfect week as he faces another passionate Italian bench boss, Gianmarco Pozzecco of rock bottom ASVEL (2-16), which is still awaiting a first home win. Zalgiris were the victims of ASVEL's first win of the season, with [Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/timothe-luwawu-cabarrot/012080/) scoring 19 points to inspire an 88-91 road victory in November. [Keenan Evans](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/keenan-evans/011218/) led Zalgiris with 19 points on that occasion, and he will again play a key role in the quest for revenge after scoring in double digits in the last six game, including a team-high 13 to overcome ALBA earlier this week.

[Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade vs. Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2023-24/crvena-zvezda-meridianbet-belgrade-partizan-mozzart-bet-belgrade/E2023/163/)

An emotional Belgrade derby will see Partizan (10-8) attempt to complete a season sweep of local rivals Zvezda (7-11) after celebrating a 88-86 comeback triumph in Round 5. Both teams are high in confidence after winning earlier this week, with Zvezda overcoming Fenerbahce behind 24 points from [Joel Bolomboy](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/joel-bolomboy/009035/), while Partizan cruised past ASVEL on 4-for-5 three-point shooting from [Kevin Punter](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/kevin-punter/009862/). Another Partizan weapon could be [Danilo Andjusic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/danilo-andjusic/000956/), who boosted his confidence as he ended a run of four games without scoring by draining 15 points on Tuesday night.

[Olympiacos Piraeus vs. AS Monaco](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2023-24/olympiacos-piraeus-as-monaco/E2023/166/) 

In a showdown loaded with playoffs implications between two of the seven teams tied for fifth place, Olympiacos (10-8) will look to maintain its momentum by gaining a fourth straight win with a visit from Monaco (10-8), which has stumbled by losing three of its last five. [Mike James](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/mike-james/005985/) had with 24 points and 6 assists when Monaco beat the Reds 85-77 in Round 11, and Olympiacos will look for the defensive hustle of [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/) to slow down James and backcourt teammate [Elie Okobo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/elie-okobo/011212/). The versatility of big man [Moustapha Fall](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/moustapha-fall/008811/) will also present a problem to Monaco, with the giant center averaging 4.8 assists in the last four games.

### Friday, January 5

[ALBA Berlin vs. Virtus Segafredo Bologna](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2023-24/alba-berlin-virtus-segafredo-bologna/E2023/167/)

Second from bottom hosts second from top as struggling ALBA (3-15) welcomes red-hot Virtus (13-5). The Italian team extended its impressive run by edging out Bayern earlier this week, making it six wins out of its last seven games, with another stellar showing from MVP candidate [Tornike Shengelia](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/tornike-shengelia/001133/). The Georgian powerhouse was also on fire when Virtus overcame ALBA, 87-76, in October, netting 27 points on 9-of-11 field goal shooting. The task of containing him will fall to [Johannes Thiemann](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/johannes-thiemann/003958/), who bounced back to form after a tough couple of games by scoring 17 points in Tuesday's narrow loss at Zalgiris.

[Valencia Basket vs. Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2023-24/valencia-basket-panathinaikos-aktor-athens/E2023/171/)

In a meeting of direct rivals, Valencia (10-8) will seek to follow Wednesday's win over Efes by completing a perfect double-round week when it hosts Panathinaikos (10-8), which is aiming to bounce back quickly from a last-gasp loss at Baskonia. [Mathias Lessort](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/mathias-lessort/003842/) combined 18 points with 7 rebounds to lead the Greens to a 90-73 win over Valencia in November, but he will meet plenty of resistance from [Brandon Davies](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/brandon-davies/007870/), who has averaged 16 points and 5.3 boards in the last three games. Panathinaikos blew a 9-point fourth quarter lead on Wednesday night, despite 25 points from in-form [Kendrick Nunn](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/kendrick-nunn/012774/), so it will be determined to stay locked in for the full 40 minutes this time around.

[FC Barcelona vs. Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2023-24/fc-barcelona-baskonia-vitoria-gasteiz/E2023/169/)

On the back of Wednesday's emotional victory over Real Madrid, Barcelona (12-6) will seek to overcome another dangerous Spanish opponent with a visit from Baskonia (10-8). There should be a big battle in the paint between two players who excelled earlier this week: [Jan Vesely](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/jan-vesely/000925/) netted 28 points in *El Clásico*, while [Chima Moneke](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/chima-moneke/012201/) earned co-MVP honors with 20 points and 13 rebounds to help down Panathinaikos. Baskonia turned on the style to thrash Barca 94-71 in Round 8 behind 26 points from [Markus Howard](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/markus-howard/011948/), who will be eager to return to form after making just 5 of his 19 field-goal attempts in the last two games.

[EA7 Emporio Armani Milan vs. FC Bayern Munich](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2023-24/ea7-emporio-armani-milan-fc-bayern-munich/E2023/168/)

After tasting defeat earlier this week, two teams aiming to get closer to the playoff positions go head-to-head as Milan (7-11) welcomes Bayern (8-10). December's meeting was dominated by [Carsen Edwards](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/carsen-edwards/011987/) as he netted 32 points, including 5 three-pointers, to give Bayern a thrilling 91-84 overtime victory. The German team also benefitted from [Serge Ibaka's](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/serge-ibaka/003583/) double-double of 20 points and 12 boards, including a late triple to force overtime. Milan will hope for another strong performance from new signing [Shabazz Napier](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/shabazz-napier/011224/), who delivered 14 points and 5 assists on his second debut for the club in Tuesday's defeat at Olympiacos.

Serge Ibaka inspired Bayern's win over Virtus with a huge double-double of 24 points and 13 rebounds, and the veteran center tries to stay hot against Milan’s array of big men, which includes Shavon Shields, who's been on fire from deep with an average of 3.8 triples in the last four games.

FC Bayern Munich-EA7 Emporio Armani Milan | Round 12 Highlights | 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

[Real Madrid vs. Anadolu Efes Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2023-24/real-madrid-anadolu-efes-istanbul/E2023/170/)

Reigning champ Real (16-2) will look to quickly banish the memory of Wednesday's *Clásico* loss by handing more misery to Efes (7-11), which has lost five in a row despite the superb form of [Shane Larkin](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/shane-larkin/007200/), who most recently scored 20 points in Wednesday's loss at Valencia. However, Larkin was restricted to his worst game of the season – he had just 5 points – when Real romped to an 80-103 victory at Istanbul in Round 2. [Guerschon Yabusele](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/guerschon-yabusele/010357/) paced the Spanish team that night with 22 points and 8 rebounds, and he is poised to return from injury for the first time since Round 9 to further strengthen coach Chus Mateo’s options.

Zvezda and Partizan go head-to-head, Olympiacos and Monaco meet again after facing off in last year's semifinals, and there's also a repeat of the 2022 championship game.