Vincent Poirier, Markus Howard, Bonzie Colson, Moustapha Fall, Thomas Walkup, Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot, Malte Delow, Jerian Grant, Nicolo Melli, Dinos Mitoglou and Toko Shengelia all left their mark in Round 9 of the 2023-24 EuroLeague season.

EuroLeague Round 9 individual highs: Vincent Poirier, Real Madrid, 5 blocks

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

Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz guard [Markus Howard](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/markus-howard/011948/) led all scorers in Round 9 with a new career-high and EuroLeague season-high 35 points. [Nikola Mirotic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/nikola-mirotic/000796/) of EA7 Emporio Armani Milan leads the league with 19.1 points per game.

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

Two players had 14 rebounds this round: [Bonzie Colson](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/bonzie-colson/009783/) of Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv and Olympiacos  Piraeus center [Moustapha Fall](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/moustapha-fall/008811/), a personal best for each player. Baskonia's [Tadas Sedekerskis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/tadas-sedekerskis/007230/) leads the league with 9.6 rebounds per contest.

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

Olympiacos playmaker [Thomas Walkup](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/thomas-walkup/008855/), LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne forward [Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/timothe-luwawu-cabarrot/012080/) and ALBA Berlin guard [Malte Delow](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/malte-delow/008211/) each had 8 assists in Round 9. Real Madrid playmaker [Facundo Campazzo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/facundo-campazzo/005928/) is the league leader, averaging 7.8 assists per night.

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

Panathinaikos Athens guard [Jerian Grant](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/jerian-grant/011204/) topped charts this round with a career-best 5 steals. Grant leads the league in steals with 2.1 per game.

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

Real center [Vincent Poirier](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/vincent-poirier/004887/) led all players with 5 blocks, another EuroLeague season high. Real's [Walter Tavares](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/walter-tavares/005791/) leads all players this season with 2.0 blocks per contest.

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

There were seven double-doubles in Round 9: Moneke (19 points, 13 rebounds), [Dinos Mitoglou](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/konstantinos-mitoglou/007866/) of Panathinaikos Athens (24 points, 20 rebounds), Fall (14 points, 14 rebounds), Colson (13 points 14 rebounds), Poirier (12 points, 11 rebounds), EA7 Emporio Armani Milan's [Nicolo Melli](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/nicolo-melli/002849/) (13 points, 10 rebounds) and [Tornike Shengelia](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/tornike-shengelia/001133/) of Virtus (17 points, 11 rebounds).

Vincent Poirier of Real Madrid blocks the shot of AS Monaco guard Kemba Walker in Round 9 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season.

After another round of elite-level play in the EuroLeague, some players certainly left their mark on Thursday and Friday night's action.

Round 9 individual highs: Vincent Poirier, Real Madrid, 5 blocks

Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade v ALBA Berlin (2023-11-17T19:45:00.000Z)

Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv v Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul (2023-11-16T19:05:00.000Z)

Olympiacos Piraeus v Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade (2023-11-16T19:15:00.000Z)

EA7 Emporio Armani Milan v Anadolu Efes Istanbul (2023-11-16T19:30:00.000Z)

Real Madrid v AS Monaco (2023-11-16T19:45:00.000Z)

LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne v Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz (2023-11-17T19:00:00.000Z)

Panathinaikos Athens v Virtus Segafredo Bologna (2023-11-17T19:15:00.000Z)

Chima Moneke of Saski Baskonia earned MVP of the Round honors after shining against LDLC ASVEL in Round 9 of the 2023-24 EuroLeague season.

EuroLeague Round 9 MVP: Chima Moneke, Saski Baskonia

Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz finished November's double-round week by [holding off LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne 81-88](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/euroleague-live-blog-ldlc-asvel-vs-saski-baskonia/), with forward [Chima Moneke](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/chima-moneke/012201/) playing an instrumental role which earned him MVP of the Round honors in Round 9 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season.

Moneke used a career-high 36:55 minutes on the floor to score 19 points, making 3-of-4 two-pointers and 4-of-6 three-pointers. The Baskonia forward pulled down 13 rebounds, tying his career high, and dished a career-best 6 assists. Moneke also had 1 steal and 1 block, accumulating a PIR of 35, the highest of any player in Round 9. This is Moneke's second MVP of the Round award in 24 career games.

Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz finished November's double-round week by holding off LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne 81-88, with forward Chima Moneke playing an instrumental role which earned him MVP of the Round honors in Round 9 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season.

Chima Moneke | RS Round 9 MVP | 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

Alec Peters of Olympiacos Piraeus had the second-best PIR of this round. In an 88-83 win over Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade, Peters scored a career-best 28 points, along with 4 rebounds, 3 assists and 1 steal, as he tied his career-high 31 PIR. Panathinaikos forward Konstantinos Mitoglou collected 24 points and 10 rebounds for a PIR of 30 in a 90-76 win over Virtus Segafredo Bologna.

The next best PIR, 29, belongs to Dzanan Musa of Real Madrid as he led his team to a 91-73 win over AS Monaco with 21 points. He also collected 5 assists, 2 rebounds and 1 steal in 22 minutes on the floor. Rounding out the list of top performers in Round 9 are Olympiacos center Moustapha Fall and Zvezda guard Nemanja Nedovic, who both had a PIR of 28. Fall amassed 14 points and a personal-best 14 rebounds, as well as 3 assists and 3 blocks, while Nedovic recorded 26 points, 4 assists, 3 rebounds, 1 steal and 1 block.

EuroLeague Round 9 MVP: Chima Moneke, Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz.

The 27-year-old continued his excellent form with another stellar display in Round 9.

Round 9 MVP: Chima Moneke, Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz

Real Madrid Baloncesto has announced that Guerschon Yabusele will be out indefinitely due to a partial rupture of the internal lateral ligament in his left knee. 

Real Madrid Baloncesto's Guerschon Yabusele out indefinitely with knee injury

Real Madrid has confirmed that forward [Guerschon Yabusele](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/guerschon-yabusele/010357/) will be out indefinitely due to a partial rupture of the internal lateral ligament in his left knee.

The Frenchman underwent tests on Friday to determine the seriousness of the injury, with Yabusele having had some discomfort during [*Los Blancos*’ 91-73 Round 9 win against AS Monaco](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/euroleague-live-blog-real-madrid-baloncesto-vs-as-monaco-basket/) in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague one day prior.

In fact, Yabusele played just 12:26 in Round 9 against Monaco and didn’t step onto the WiZink Center court at all in the second half. He also missed Rounds 5 and 6 with an injury.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="es" dir="ltr">Parte médico de Yabusele.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RMBaloncesto?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RMBaloncesto</a></p>&mdash; Real Madrid Basket (@RMBaloncesto) <a href="https://twitter.com/RMBaloncesto/status/1725620758401986613?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 17, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

### A strong season so far by Yabusele

Yabusele is averaging the second-most minutes of any Real player so far this season in the EuroLeague at 23:33 per game, which is only behind guard Facu Campazzo’s 24:20. He is posting the third-most points on *Los Blancos*’ roster with 10.3 per game, while he is the team’s second-best rebounder with 5.0 boards per night.

Curiously, although those 10.3 points per game are Yabusele’s lowest since arriving at Real in the summer of 2021, his shooting percentages are the most accurate they have been. The 27-year-old is averaging 64.3% on two-pointers, 56.5% on triples, the fifth-best mark in the EuroLeague, and a perfect 100.0% from the free-throw line.

As such, this injury certainly comes as a blow for Real head coach Chus Mateo. *Los Blancos*, the reigning EuroLeague champions, have been incredibly impressive so far this season, having gone 9-0 to start the 2023-24 EuroLeague season.

The best plays of Real Madrid forward Guerschon Yabusele in the first nine rounds of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season.

Yabusele's 2023-24 highlights

### Who could step in for Yabusele?

In the absence of Yabusele, it is expected that the ‘4’ position will be occupied by Gabriel Deck or Mario Hezonja. The 19-year-old Eli Ndiaye, who started in the 2023 EuroLeague Championship Game, could be another option once he recovers from a facial injury he picked up in training.

Real will likely be without Yabusele for an extended period of time, so it will be important that Deck, Hezonja and, once he’s back, Ndiaye step up to make up for the France international’s absence.

More Real Madrid News

Guerschon Yabusele in action for Real Madrid in the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season.

The French power forward has averaged 10.3 points and 5.0 rebounds so far this season.

Guerschon Yabusele out indefinitely with knee injury

Turkish Airlines EuroLeague fans, we have our ninth winner in the EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge! Giandamiano Bovi beat everyone else in Round 9 with his team Kaukenofili, which had a Fantasy Challenge score of 268.00.

EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge Round 9 winner

Turkish Airlines EuroLeague fans, we have our ninth winner in the [EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge](https://euroleaguefantasy.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/home)! Giandamiano Bovi beat everyone else in Round 9 with his team Kaukenofili, which had a Fantasy Challenge score of 268.00.

Giandamiano had the following lineup: team captain Moustapha Fall of Olympiacos Piraeus, Reds forward Alec Peters, Dinos Mitoglou of Panathinaikos Athens, Chima Moneke of Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz and Isaiah Canaan of Olympiacos as starters.

His sixth man was Johannes Thiemann of ALBA Berlin, while the rest of the bench was made up of Baskonia guard Markus Howard, Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade’s Aleksa Avramovic, Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul’s Tarik Biberovic and EA7 Emporio Armani Milan’s Maodo Lo. His head coach was Partizan tactician Zeljko Obradovic.

The prize for finishing first in Round 9 is a free subscription to Euroleague TV for the 2024-25 season, so congratulations, Giandamiano!

Aykut Kadioglu is the new leader of the EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge overall standings with 1,672.75 points. Remember, the grand prize for the winner of the EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge come the end of the season is a VIP package for the winner and a friend to attend the 2025 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four, including flights, four hotel nights and VIP tickets.

Trades are now open for Round 9. There are three trades allowed before each round until the end of the regular season, but at four more points this season – following Rounds 13, 19, 26 and 31 – there will be unlimited trades until the next round commences.

The first game in Round 9 sees LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne take on FC Bayern Munich at the brand-new LDLC Arena, with this game being scheduled to tip off on Thursday, November 23, at 20:00 CET. This contest marks the deadline to get trades done, so don’t leave it too late!

Make new teams now or improve your existing ones and try to become our next round winner in the EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge!

Weekly prizes are on offer for the top team manager in the EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge, so don't miss out!

KK Partizan defeated ALBA Berlin 89-74 in Round 9 of the 2023-24 EuroLeague season, with defense and impressive offensive displays from Aleksa Avramovic, Danilo Andjusic, James Nunnally and Zach LeDay helping the team's efforts.

Strong defense propelled KK Partizan past ALBA Berlin

Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade shook off [a formidable challenge from ALBA Berlin to prevail 89-74](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/euroleague-live-blog-kk-partizan-vs-alba-berlin/) in their Round 9 clash in the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season. Following this win, Zeljko Obradovic’s charges improved to 4-5, while the German side dropped to 1-8 after yet another loss in Europe’s premier club basketball competition.

The visitors looked capable of staging an upset after outrebounding Partizan 9-18 in the first half, having racked up 6 offensive boards while they only allowed 1 at the other end. But, Partizan led 43-40 at halftime largely thanks to forcing 11 turnovers from ALBA, which nosed ahead 45-46 early in the third quarter.

### A different Partizan in the second half

At that point, the hosts found another gear and gained the upper hand as they carved out a 65-55 lead at the end of the third quarter on the back of much-improved perimeter shooting. Danilo Andjusic nailed a third-chance three-pointer and Perry Dozier also sank one from long range, with Partizan swinging the momentum in the paint.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="und" dir="ltr">Crno-beli bravo, bravo!✊🏽⚫️⚪️<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://twitter.com/EuroLeague?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EuroLeague</a> <a href="https://t.co/UHUOfIxEN6">pic.twitter.com/UHUOfIxEN6</a></p>&mdash; KK Partizan Mozzart Bet (@PartizanBC) <a href="https://twitter.com/PartizanBC/status/1725638309706174865?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 17, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>


ALBA fought hard to stay in touch, but the writing was on the wall for the visitors after they fell behind 74-61 early in the fourth quarter.

Ultimately, a rampant Partizan had more firepower when the chips were down, with Aleksa Avramovic leading the charge on 20 points while Andjusic added 16. James Nunnally chipped win with 14 to underline a potent backcourt performance and forward Zach LeDay netted as many.

### The tale of the tape

In the end, the two teams were tied 29-29 on rebounding, while ALBA committed 17 turnovers to go with 19 assists. Partizan had as many assists but only 13 turnovers, while nailing 11 three-pointers to ALBA’s 8. The hosts also prevailed from two-point territory, having shot 19-of-27 from inside the arc while ALBA managed 16-of-30.

Partizan head coach Zeljko Obradovic credited the win to a strong second-half performance and passionate support from the home fans, who got behind their team when they needed to most.

“It’s obvious that we played better in the second half,” Obradovic said during the post-game press conference. “I know the players can’t always be at their best because of the tight schedule, but dips in form have to be kept down to a minimum.

“We played better offense and defense in the second half with the in-and-out passing, which created a lot of open shots. We also stopped their quick transition and fastbreaks, which was the key.”

Inconsistent Partizan and last-placed ALBA clash in the hope of avoid losing both games in the double-round week. Bruno Cabaclo made a solid debut with 19 points in the loss at Bayern, while Johannes Thiemann has been a shining light for the Germans with 13.4 ppg.

Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade-ALBA Berlin | Round 9 Highlights | 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

Asked how much of an impact new signing Bruno Caboclo has made since he joined Partizan, Obradovic said: "He is adapting quickly, although there are some tactical details we are still working on his defense. There’s no doubt Caboclo will be a major boost, he’s a good lad and he’s been well accepted by the team. Last but not least, I thank the fans for their support once again because they are like an extra man on the court.”

Having conceded that he and the rest of the team were feeling the effects of a busy schedule comprising the 18-team EuroLeague and the 14-team regional ABA League, Avramovic said Partizan was sorely missing its injured captain, Kevin Punter.

“It was a demanding contest after the loss in Munich and it’s always good to get back to winning ways,” he told Serbia’s Sport Klub television. “Kevin can’t come back soon enough and we are really missing him. We know injuries are part of the game and we have to soldier on amid a torrid schedule, but we’re not going to cry about it. We always knew it was going to be tough.”

More Partizan News

Frank Kaminsky of Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade is defended by Yanni Wetzell of ALBA Berlin in Round 9 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season.

The Serbian team beefed up its game in the paint and long-range shooting in the second half.

Strong defense propelled Partizan to gritty win over ALBA

Barça Basket got back to winning ways in the EuroLeague in Round 9, with Jan Vesely impressing throughout as the team beat Valencia Basket Club 74-70 at Palau Blaugrana.

Jan Vesely enjoyed a bounce-back performance in win over Valencia Basket

Nothing went to plan for Jan Vesely in FC Barcelona’s 94-71 loss at Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz in Round 8 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season on Wednesday night. Yet, just two days later, the 2018-19 EuroLeague MVP showed his true quality as [Barcelona beat Valencia Basket 74-70](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/euroleague-live-blog-barca-basket-vs-valencia-basket-club/).

At Baskonia, Vesely grabbed only 1 rebound and scored just 2 points, having gone 1-for-4 from inside the arc. It was a different story against Valencia at Palau Blaugrana, though, as he showed that his disappointing display in midweek was simply a blip.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">𝐌OST<br>𝐕ESELY<br>𝐏LAYER <a href="https://t.co/DWhA0qucIS">pic.twitter.com/DWhA0qucIS</a></p>&mdash; Barça Basket (@FCBbasket) <a href="https://twitter.com/FCBbasket/status/1725635979581559225?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 17, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

### Vesely found his groove again

On Friday night, the 33-year-old EuroLeague legend scored 9 of Barcelona’s first 13 points after going a perfect 4-of-4 from two-point range. Vesely finished the contest with a season-high 17 points, as well as 4 rebounds and 5 drawn fouls for a PIR of 20. In other words, he scored more than one fifth of his team’s 74 points.

“It was a very tough and physical game,” Vesely reflected in the post-game flash interview. “I’m happy that we fought from the beginning and we stayed in the game. We didn’t let this physicality get to us and we played very physically, too. I’m very happy that we reacted after the game at Baskonia, which I think was a very bad game for us in every aspect, so I’m happy that we reacted and we showed that that was not our \[reality\].”

Jan Vesely had 17 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 steal as FC Barcelona beat Valencia Basket 74-70 in Round 9 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season.

Jan Vesely's highlights vs. Valencia

### A tough game for Barcelona

Indeed, Barcelona matched Valencia’s energy and physicality on the court throughout the game. Taking into account that head coach Alex Mumbru’s side boasted the finest defense in the competition heading into the all-Spanish clash at Palau Blaugrana, this win makes the *Blaugrana*’s achievement even greater.

“It’s really difficult to play against Valencia,” Barcelona head coach Roger Grimau stated after the game. “They are very physical. Sometimes we found good shots, but sometimes we collapsed a little bit. We suffered a lot in rebounding, but we defended more or less well. They had some second chances, but in the end we found the solution.”

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="ca" dir="ltr">Gràcies, Palau 💙❤ <a href="https://t.co/aT3MLd95zB">pic.twitter.com/aT3MLd95zB</a></p>&mdash; Barça Basket (@FCBbasket) <a href="https://twitter.com/FCBbasket/status/1725645740750565572?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 17, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

In fact, Barcelona edged Valencia 43-39 on rebounds and its defense allowed them to score just 9 points from second chances, despite the visitors collecting as many as 15 offensive rebounds. Meanwhile, on a night where its long-range shooting was well off (5-for-30, 16.7% 3FG), Barcelona’s players didn’t give up and fought for every possession.

“Today we didn’t have the percentage \[we wanted\] on three-pointers, which makes this victory more important,” Alex Abrines, who made just 1-of-7 triples, noted.

“Sometimes it is hard to get good stops when you don’t score, but I think that today the team was amazing on defense against a really tough team. We wanted to win so badly, especially here at home, in order to bounce back after a tough game at Baskonia.”

Barcelona defended its home court by securing its fifth win in as many games at Palau Blaugrana. Yet, most importantly, the hosts received a huge boost in morale ahead of a tough game in Belgrade, Serbia, against Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv in Round 10 next Thursday night.

More Barcelona News

Jan Vesely of FC Barcelona is defended by Boubacar Toure of Valencia Basket in Round 9 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season.

The Czech big man played an integral role as Barcelona got back to winning ways.

Vesely enjoyed a bounce-back performance in win over Valencia

FC Barcelona v Valencia Basket (2023-11-17T19:30:00.000Z)

Panathinaikos B.C. duo Dinos Mitoglou and Mathias Lessort played key roles as the Greens beat Virtus Segafredo Bologna 90-76 in Round 9 of the 2023-24 EuroLeague Regular Season.

Dinos Mitoglou paired with Mathias Lessort to see off Virtus Bologna

Dinos Mitoglou has emerged as one of the best players in the entire Turkish Airlines EuroLeague this season, with the Panathinaikos Athens forward enjoying another outstanding performance as [the Greens defeated Virtus Segafredo Bologna 90-76](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/euroleague-live-blog-panathinaikos-athens-vs-virtus-segafredo-bologna/) at OAKA in Round 9 of the 2023-24 campaign.

Another key contributor in the victory was center Mathias Lessort, who saved his best for last as he came to the fore in the fourth quarter to help Panathinaikos record its third straight win and improve to a 5-4 record.

### Mitoglou is on fire

The 27-year-old Mitoglou had a 24-point, 10-rebound double-double on the night, good enough for a PIR of 30, which means that he is now averaging 17.8 points, 6.7 rebounds and a PIR of 20.8 in six games this season. Earlier this week, he scored 19 points as [Panathinaikos downed Zalgiris Kaunas 73-71](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/euroleague-live-blog-panathinaikos-bc-vs-zalgiris-kaunas/), also at OAKA.

“We finished the week like we were supposed to,” Mitoglou stated after the Virtus win. “I’m very happy for this win, the fans, everybody on the team. We deserved it. We showed some improvements, but we have to continue like this and get better. It’s a tough road, but we need to be ready.”

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Come on, stop it, it’s not funny anymore! 🤔💚<br><br>DIIIIINOOOOOOS 📢🫡<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WeTheGreens?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WeTheGreens</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/paobc?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#paobc</a> <a href="https://t.co/VGYGb1hoOb">pic.twitter.com/VGYGb1hoOb</a></p>&mdash; Panathinaikos BC (@paobcgr) <a href="https://twitter.com/paobcgr/status/1725632661572513820?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 17, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Panathinaikos was in a dogfight through three quarters but then took control of the game in the fourth, winning the final 10 minutes 28-13.

### Lessort helped put the game to bed

In particular, a strong final quarter by Lessort proved to be one of the keys. The French center had struggled most of the game to find his rhythm, having committed 3 turnovers and also got into foul trouble, but he stepped up at a crucial time in the contest.

“I let the game come to me in the first half. A lot of things happened that I could not control,” Lessort commented afterward. “I just tried to stay in the game, stay focused and knew we had another half to play. When the coach called my name, I got back on the court and tried to help my team and do everything I can to get the win.”

Dinos Mitoglou and Mathias Lessort combined for 34 points and 19 rebounds as Panathinaikos Athens beat Virtus Segafredo Bologna 90-76 in Round 9 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season.

Mitoglou, Lessort shined vs. Virtus

The big man provided a real emotional boost with a massive transition dunk to put Panathinaikos ahead 69-67, having trailed by 5 points earlier in the quarter. From there, the Greens never fell behind again.

Lessort, who had just 2 points in the first 33 minutes, added a three-point play, a defensive rebound, 1 free throw, a hook shot in the lane, another defensive rebound and then the assist on Mitoglou’s three-pointer to make it 85-72 with less than 2 minutes left.

Lessort finished with 10 points, 9 rebounds and 1 assist and showed why he is one of the top centers in the league.

Given the quality of both Mitoglou and Lessort, among others, it shouldn’t be a surprise to see Panathinaikos getting these wins over the line.

More Panathinaikos News

Dinos Mitoglou of Panathinaikos Athens roars with emotion during his team's win against Virtus Segafredo Bologna in Round 9 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season.

The Greens have now won three straight games in the EuroLeague.

Consistent Mitoglou paired with Lessort to see off Virtus

Markus Howard and Chima Moneke enjoyed career-best performances as Saski Baskonia beat LDLC ASVEL 81-88 in Round 9 of the 2023-24 EuroLeague season, which improved the team's record to 5-4.

Saski Baskonia believed as Markus Howard, Chima Moneke shined at LDLC ASVEL

Things did not look very promising for Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz midway through the third quarter of [its road game at LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/euroleague-live-blog-ldlc-asvel-vs-saski-baskonia/) in Round 9 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season. 

Down by 16 and missing five players, including the EuroLeague's leading rebounder so far this year, Tadas Sedekerskis, Baskonia had a long way to climb.

"Belief, just belief," said one of Baskonia's heroes on the night, Chima Moneke, as he tried to explain his team's comeback after winning 81-88 at the Astroballe.

"The whole time, I genuinely believed we will come back and win the game."

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="es" dir="ltr">¡¡¡NOS LLEVAMOS LA VICTORIA!! 💪💪<br><br>Four in a row 🔥🔥🔥🔥<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GoazenBaskonia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GoazenBaskonia</a> <a href="https://t.co/EIHos1rfkl">pic.twitter.com/EIHos1rfkl</a></p>&mdash; Baskonia (@Baskonia) <a href="https://twitter.com/Baskonia/status/1725619382900969783?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 17, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

### Chima Moneke, Markus Howard led the way

Moneke and Markus Howard were the first to start making shots and Baskonia, which was 3-of-12 on threes when it was down 41-25 in the second quarter, ended up hitting 16 triples on 36 attempts against ASVEL.

Howard was shooting the lights out, finishing with 8 made threes on 13 attempts, and netting a career-high 35 points. Moneke had a 19-point, 13-rebound double-double, as well as 6 assists, as Baskonia secured its fourth victory from four games under head coach Dusko Ivanovic.

"It all starts with Dusko," Moneke said of his coach. "I will never forget, the first speech he gave to us was, 'Believe, have confidence.' Every day that he talks to us, he says, 'Believe and have confidence.'"

Markus Howard shot 8-for-13 from long range in a win vs. LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne.

Markus Howard scored career-high 35 points vs ASVEL

Baskonia really did play with belief, even though it could have easily folded with just nine players available at the Astroballe. In addition, Round 8 MVP Codi Miller-McIntyre was in foul trouble, eventually fouling out in the fourth quarter, and finished the night with just 2 points, 3 assists and 2 rebounds.

However, when it came to Baskonia's backcourt on Friday night, Howard put in a superhero-level performance, let alone an MVP-level display.

At times, it seemed as if Howard could make shots with his eyes closed; some of his threes were off-balanced and from the toughest of spots. But Howard not only refused to take the credit, but he took the blame for his team not being in position to close the game out earlier in the fourth quarter.

"Going into the fourth quarter, we had an 8-point lead and I made two immature plays", Howard commented after the win. "I've got to get better. I have to learn to make better plays, especially when we have leads like that late in the games. Because I think that's what sparked their streak in the fourth quarter."

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="es" dir="ltr">5⃣4⃣ PUNTAZOS en un solo vídeo 🔥<br><br>Esta dupla es ________ 😍 <a href="https://t.co/zZznXgssio">pic.twitter.com/zZznXgssio</a></p>&mdash; Baskonia (@Baskonia) <a href="https://twitter.com/Baskonia/status/1725626265963569255?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 17, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Such self-critique from a star player is a melody for any coach's ears, but it also hints at a chemistry building at Baskonia, which improved to 5-4 with its fourth straight win.

"I am really proud of the guys, how they finished and how we are stacking wins," Howard added.

Moneke feels the team has turned the corner and that already the entire European basketball community is taking notice.

"People are starting to see we have potential," he said. "A lot of people wrote us off after a bad start. I think the Barcelona game changed opinions about us."

Baskonia is now one of 10 teams with a winning record and one of seven teams with five victories. After starting the season with 1-4, Baskonia is now in a really good place and is determined to keep the good times rolling.

More Baskonia News

Chima Moneke of Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz in action against LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne in Round 9 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season.

Dusko Ivanovic's side are on a roll and continued their momentum on the road in Round 9.

Baskonia believed as Howard, Moneke shined at ASVEL

KK Partizan got back to winning ways in the EuroLeague by downing ALBA Berlin 89-74 in Round 9 on Friday night, with Aleksa Avramovic scoring a team-high 20 points for the Serbian side.

KK Partizan overpowers ALBA Berlin, 89-74, as Aleksa Avramovic rediscovers his touch 

<incrowd-live-blog id="6555eb54fdf8f9f2de49a352" client-id="EUROLEAGUE" server="standard"></incrowd-live-blog><script src="https://live-blog.incrowdsports.com/index.js"></script>

Aleksa Avramovic of Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade is defended by Malte Delow of ALBA Berlin in Round 9 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season.

The hosts pulled away in the second half, with four players scoring a double-digit number of points on the night.