The unique basketball culture that is Paris takes center stage on the newest edition of EuroLeague Diaries as Sofia Del Prado and Dane Arlauckas take a singular tour of the French capital's many street-level ties to the sport. 

EuroLeague Diaries hits the streets of Paris!

They meet the ballhandling wizard Briso at an outdoor court under tucked under a metro overpass. They meet street artist Zeko as he paints a mural with a special Euroleague Basketball touch. They shoot baskets in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower with George Eddy, the voice of French basketball since 1985. And they take in a BKT EuroCup game hosted by Paris Basketball, whose president David Khan sums up the goal of his fast-rising club: "We play at the intersection of fashion, music, lifestyles and culture so that the club becomes more than just a club." Join a one-of-a-kind basketball tour in a world capital like no other on EuroLeague Diaries!

The EuroLeague legend will sit out the next two weeks due to a calf injury.

ASVEL's Nando De Colo, out two weeks with injury

As announced by the club on Friday morning, Turkish Airlines EuroLeague legend [Nando De Colo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/nando-de-colo/002100/) will be sidelined for the next two weeks, due to a calf injury suffered during the Round 15 game against EA7 Emporio Armani Milan. De Colo (1.96 meters, 36 years old) averages 12.2 points, 1.8 rebounds and 3.3 assists this season, his second at LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne. De Colo could not even be 4 minutes on the floor in Milan before he had to leave the game for good.

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="fr" dir="ltr">🩹 Pas de Nando ce soir <br><br>Notre meneur, touché au mollet, sera éloigné des terrains environ 15 jours.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LDLCASVEL?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LDLCASVEL</a> <a href="https://t.co/lgIqurntfJ">pic.twitter.com/lgIqurntfJ</a></p>&mdash; LDLC ASVEL (@LDLCASVEL) <a href="https://twitter.com/LDLCASVEL/status/1738148546606465210?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 22, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

### The record will have to wait

Currently, De Colo sits in second position in the all-time rankings for Top Scorers in the league with 4,383 points in 287 games. The scoring king is still Vassilis Spabnoulis, who put an end to his EuroLeague career with 358 games played and a total 4,455. With his averages this season, it would have meant that De Colo would become the new all-time scoring king in about six more games, but this setback means that the milestone will have to wait.

Trailing by double figures at halftime, Valencia clamped down on defense in the second half to turn the game on its head and beat Virtus.

Valencia locked down on defense after halftime to defeat Virtus

Valencia Basket had its back to the wall at halftime [against Virtus Segafredo Bologna at Pabellon Fuente De San Luis on Thursday night](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2023-24/valencia-basket-virtus-segafredo-bologna/E2023/138/). The hosts were trailing by 10 points, having allowed the Italian side to score 47 against the team that boasts the best defense in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague this season with just 74.0 points conceded per game after 16 rounds. Virtus outscored Valencia 11-26 in the second quarter and the absences of important players such as [Victor Claver](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/victor-claver/000556/), [Semi Ojeleye](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/semi-ojeleye/011982/) and [Jared Harper](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/jared-harper/011970/) were taking their toll on the team. Yet, at halftime, Valencia went back to its factory settings, tightened up its defense and turned the game around in the second half.

“They suffered,” Valencia head coach Alex Mumbru jokingly said after the game when asked what he told his players at halftime to give them a morale boost. But the truth is that the team that suffered was Virtus after the break. The Italian side finished the first half with just 4 errors but ended the game with a joint season-high 19 turnovers. Virtus committed 8 in the third quarter when it scored just a couple of field goals and was outscored 23-7 by Valencia. This marked Virtus’s lowest-scoring quarter in the competition this season, as the Italian side had scored in double digits in each of its quarters all season before Thursday’s duel in Valencia.

“We just take pride in our defense,” Valencia guard [Chris Jones](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/chris-jones/010568/) said after the game. “That’s one of our biggest strengths this year and we’re just trying to continue to execute that. We got some tough buckets down the stretch from [\[Brandon\] Davies](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/brandon-davies/007870/) and some other guys, but defensively we were locked in today.”

Robertson, Lopez-Arostegui stepped up for Valencia

Indeed, Davies made the difference in crunch time, netting 6 straight points to seal the victory for Valencia. Jones led all scorers with 17 points, having gone 5-for-7 from inside the arc, 1-for-3 from deep and a perfect 4-for-4 from the charity stripe. Most importantly, he managed to keep his cool and made all his 4 free throws in the last 30 seconds of the game.

“I’ve got great teammates and they make it easy for me,” Jones added. “I made some shots today, not as many as I wanted \[laughs\], but we got the win so I’m happy with that.”

It has to be noted that this defensive display didn’t come against just any team. Coming into Round 16, Virtus boasted the fourth-best offense in the competition with an average of 83.5 scored per game. In fact, Valencia cooled off one of the hottest teams in the EuroLeague as Virtus had recorded four wins in a row, including victories against last year’s runner-up Olympiacos Piraeus, away at an in-form Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz and at home over FC Barcelona. Virtus could find no answers to Valencia’s defense after the break, with its star [Tornike Shengelia](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/tornike-shengelia/001133/) looking frustrated after committing his seventh turnover of the night late in the fourth quarter. 

Virtus guard [Iffe Lundberg](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/iffe-lundberg/010781/) committed three straight turnovers in the closing stages of the third quarter. Lundberg had gone a perfect 1-for-1 on two-pointers, 3-for-3 from downtown and 2-for-2 from the line, playing a key role in Virtus outscoring Valencia 11-26 in the second quarter. However, Valencia’s defense managed to get under his skin and practically took him out of the game after forcing him to the aforementioned 3 consecutive turnovers in the space of just a few seconds at the end of the third quarter.

Valencia’s players locked down one of the most prolific offenses in the EuroLeague and proved for yet another time on the court why they boast the finest defense in the competition this season.

Valencia Basket v Virtus Segafredo Bologna (2023-12-21T19:30:00.000Z)

Valencia’s second unit stepped up in victory over Virtus

Valencia Basket took to the court against Virtus Segafredo Bologna on Thursday night without three important players in Victor Claver, Semi Ojeleye and Jared Harper, all of whom are sidelined through injuries. This made the task of beating an in-form Virtus even tougher and for this reason, head coach Alex Mumbru urged all his players to take a step forward and fill in the shoes of the aforementioned players.

Mumbru needed some help from his second unit and the Valencia reserves delivered to help the team clinch a 79-71 victory over the Italian side. Kassius Robertson was introduced into the starting five to cover for Claver and ended the game with 12 points, having gone 3-for-6 from beyond the arc. Most importantly, he netted 2 of these triples in the third quarter, when Valencia completed its comeback to turn the game around.

Virtus took a 37-47 lead into the second half, but Valencia bounced back and outscored the visitors 42-24 after the break to get back to winning ways after losing to Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade at home earlier this week. One man who played a key role with his defense was Xabi Lopez-Arostegui, who forced a couple of Virtus turnovers in the last quarter. His hustle on both ends proved crucial for the hosts, with Lopez-Arostegui ending the game with 9 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist and 4 drawn fouls for a season-high PIR of 15.

“In the second half we were the team we want to be,” Lopez-Arostegui said after the game. “We were 10 points down at halftime, but then we bounced back, we played with great energy, we were tough on defense and we beat the team which is second in the EuroLeague \[standings\], so we are happy.”

Game News

Lopez-Arostegui went on to stress that he did everything it took to make the most of the opportunity that was provided to him by Coach Mumbru due to Valencia’s injuries.

“We are Valencia,” he added. “We have a long roster, with great players, and every time you have the opportunity to play more minutes like today because of the injuries you have to show that you can help.”

In fact, Valencia’s bench scored 31 of the team’s 79 points on the night. Taking into account that Robertson started to fill in for Claver, who was in the starting five against Partizan, Valencia’s reserves netted more than half (43) of the total points.

Game Videos

“We did a great job,” Mumbru said after the game. “Everybody took a step forward and this is important for the team.”

With this win, Valencia improved to a 9-7 record and ended the two-round week on a positive note. After playing a couple of games in a row at home, the Spanish side will travel to Germany next week to face FC Bayern Munich on Thursday. Should its reserves emulate their performance against Virtus, Valencia could push for its fourth road win this season.

The home team's reserves scored 31 of the team’s 79 points on the night.

Led by Dzanan Musa, Real Madrid strolled to a 91-75 home win over Partizan Belgrade to underline its dominance of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season

Inspired Dzanan Musa propelled Real to big win over Partizan

Real Madrid strolled to a 91-75 home win over Partizan Mozzar Bet Belgrade to underline its dominance of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season, improving to 15-1 while the Serbian team dropped to 9-7, having won the previous five games before being blown away in the WiZink Center.

Dzanan Musa led Real’s charge with a superb display, scoring 23 points on 10-of-11 shooting from the floor. He netted 16 points in the first half when Real carved out a 48-36 advantage. That lead soared to 76-49 late in the third quarter, effectively killing the game as a contest.

Following lost season’s rip-roaring playoff series between the two teams, when Real overturned a 0-2 deficit to win the best-of-five series 3-2, Thursday's lop-sided clash failed to replicate that kind of drama and quality which had kept fans on the edge of their seats.

Dzanan Musa (23 points) Highlights vs. Partizan Mozzart Bet, 12/21/2023

Dzanan Musa's highlights against Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade

Partizan could not match Real in any department and after taking a 2-5 lead, the visitors fizzed out and trailed throughout. Musa in particular toyed with Partizan’s defense, driving layups to the basket almost at will against a static-looking defense.

The Bosnian forward underscored that Real’s no-nonsense approach had paid off. “We kept our heads in the game right from the start,” Musa said in a post-game interview. “We knew Partizan would come here with all their force and we responded well. When I am on the court, I want to do everything I can to help the team win.”

Veteran Sergio Rodriguez ended the game scoreless but he dished out 9 assists and most of them were converted by towering center Vincent Poirier, who added gloss to Real’s victory with some eye-catching slam dunks. Mario Hezonja was his usual reliable self, matching Poirier’s tally of 14 points and head coach Chus Mateo could only purr with delight after seeing his team stretch its winning streak.

“Today we played well against a very good team,” he said. “We have good players who pay attention too and it’s very important to stay focused. We will enjoy tonight and then tomorrow we’ll start thinking about the next one.”

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="es" dir="ltr">⚡ <a href="https://twitter.com/DzMusa?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DzMusa</a> ⚡<br>👍 MVP <a href="https://twitter.com/autoheroespana?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@autoheroespana</a> del partido vs <a href="https://twitter.com/PartizanBC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PartizanBC</a> 👍 <a href="https://t.co/delopCBXzD">pic.twitter.com/delopCBXzD</a></p>&mdash; Real Madrid Basket (@RMBaloncesto) <a href="https://twitter.com/RMBaloncesto/status/1737961250502361198?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 21, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Partizan arrived in Madrid running on empty after Tuesday’s tough 67-72 at Valencia and head coach Zeljko Obradovic conceded his men were below par. “We played a very bad game as we kept turning the ball over,” he said. We had no energy defensively and we weren’t smart enough on offense. Real Madrid is an excellent team, they played at a different speed today and deserved to win the game.”

Real thrived on shooting from two-point territory, making 24 of 32 from inside the arc (75%), having also forced 16 turnovers from Partizan which also had only as many assists. In contrast, Real produced 25 assists against 12 turnovers, underlining a selfless approach that has seen it pick apart its rivals time and again this season.

The Bosnian forward fired on all cylinders with immaculate shooting which put the visitors to the sword.

Real Madrid v Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade (2023-12-21T19:45:00.000Z)

Milos Teodosic played like his former MVP self as he carried KK Crvena Zvezda Belgrade to a 92-98 victory over Maccabi Tel Aviv B.C..

Vintage Teodosic carries Zvezda to first road victory

Teodosic poured in 27 points to go along with 14 assists, 2 rebounds and 2 steals for a PIR of 40. The 36-year-old tied his career high in assists from January 22, 2015, when he was with CSKA Moscow against Unicaja Malaga. Teodosic also was close to his top index rating of 43 from November 25, 2016, against Baskonia, and his 6 three-pointers made were one off his record of 7 against Brose Bamberg on December 1, 2016.

The 27 points was the most Teodosic scored since he tallied 31 points in the aforementioned game against Bamberg in December 2016. And the Serbian star’s career high in points came a week earlier as he dropped 34 points against Baskonia in the game with his highest PIR as well.

The 2010 EuroLeague MVP was his usual self afterward, not wanting to talk about himself.

“Those guys \[Rokas Giedraitis, Mike Tobey, Adam Hanga, Dejan Davidovac\] are the reason I was able to be in the position to get 14 assists. This is a team game and I don’t want to talk about myself,” Teodosic said.

Milos Teodosic with 14 Assists vs. Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv, 12/21/2023

Milos Teodosic tied his career high with 14 assists vs Maccabi

Others in the game did the talking for the three-time All-EuroLeague First Teamer.

“He’s a great player, a great player. One of our leaders. He is playing amazing. What can I say,” said Giedratis about Teodosic.

“Milos was amazing today. We know his quality, his talent, his skills. He was excellent scoring and creating for the others. And he deserves a big credit for this win,” said Zvezda coach Ioannis Sfairopoulos.

And Maccabi head coach Oded Kattash added: “Milos did his things. He was controlling it. It was tough. We tried to change coverage on him but he found a way and he had a huge impact on the game.”

Teodosic was more pleased about the way the team played.

“That’s the way we need to play. Every game somebody needs to step up and take some responsibility and some decisions. That’s the way we need to play to win the next games. This is the way we are going to catch some rhythm and get some wins in a row,” said the 2016 EuroLeague champion.

Zvezda will definitely need more players to carry the load because they cannot expect the 36-year-old Teodosic to do this night in, night out. But it was impressive to see the former MVP show he can still dominate.

Milos Teodosic played like his former MVP self as he carried Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade to a 92-98 victory over Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv.

Milos Teodosic turned back the clock to lead Zvezda over Maccabi 

Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv v Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade (2023-12-21T19:05:00.000Z)

Dzanan Musa scored 23 points as Real Madrid cruised past KK Partizan Belgrade 91-75 in the Spanish capital on Thursday in Round 16 of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague.

Live Blog: Real Madrid vs. Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade

<incrowd-live-blog id="65829d941e00327c357120c9" client-id="EUROLEAGUE" server="standard"></incrowd-live-blog><script src="https://live-blog.incrowdsports.com/index.js"></script>

Los Blancos led by as many as 27 in the third quarter before taking its foot off the gas in the fourth.

Real Madrid marches past Partizan 91-75

Valencia Basket used a big second half to beat Virtus Bologna 79-71 on Thursday night in Round 16 of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague. 

Live Blog: Valencia Basket vs. Virtus Segafredo Bologna

<incrowd-live-blog id="65829d508dab3426adb89257" client-id="EUROLEAGUE" server="standard"></incrowd-live-blog><script src="https://live-blog.incrowdsports.com/index.js"></script>

Down 10 at halftime, Valencia turned things around with a big third quarter en route to a big home win. 

Valencia triumphs over Virtus 79-71

Milos Teodosic turned back the clock in leading KK Crvena Zvezda over Maccabi Tel Aviv 92-98 on Thursday  in Round 16 of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague.

Live Blog: Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv vs. Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade

<incrowd-live-blog id="65829d031e00327c357120c5" client-id="EUROLEAGUE" server="standard"></incrowd-live-blog><script src="https://live-blog.incrowdsports.com/index.js"></script>

The Crvena Zvezda playmaker authored one of his best games ever to lead his team to a pivotal victory. 