Live Blog, EuroLeague Playoffs: Game 3, Maccabi vs. Monaco

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James sparkles as Monaco goes up 2-1 in Tel Aviv

Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv v AS Monaco (2023-05-02T18:05:00.000Z)

Zeljko Obradovic, Partizan: 'I feel this club very deep inside of me'

The winningest coach ever in the history of European basketball, Zeljko Obradovic, accomplished another goal this season by taking Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade to the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Playoffs in the club’s return to the top competition after an eight-year absence.

"I started being a coach over here," Obradovic says. "I feel this club very deep inside of me. I am very happy to have this experience now."

With one of the youngest rosters in the league, Obradovic managed to build chemistry in his team step by step and the group is now peaking at the right time.

"The life of a coach is a daily job," Obradovic assures. "All you think about is the next practice, the next game."

Another season, another success for Obradovic, an iconic coach who is still looking for new challenges after having done it all to this point.

Zeljko Obradovic, Partizan: 'I feel this club very inside of me'

Yakuba Ouattara, Monaco: 'I'm living a dream'

For the second season in a row, AS Monaco and its swingman [Yakuba Ouattara](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/yakuba-ouattara/004197/) are battling for a spot in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four. No Monaco player's connections with the team run deeper than Ouattara, nicknamed Billy, who first joined the club in 2015 and is in his third stint and sixth season on the team. 

For a player at the age 31, it is now safe to say that his success story has been an improbable one.

Ouattara's parents are from Burkina Faso. Life first took them to Ghana and the town of Tepa, where Yakuba was born, before moving to France when he was 3 years old.

"Sometimes I think about how much courage it must have taken them to go somewhere with no link, with no connections", Ouattara said. "With nobody they knew, just trying to give a better living for their family, better chances to become somebody. They left everything they did and knew, their family, just to go to France and try to give us an opportunity for the future."

Looking up to people who defy such odds all your life probably helps you deal better with pressure situations, such as those one can find in a basketball game. Maybe that's the reason some of Ouattara's most impressive career performances have come in the EuroLeague Playoffs.

Like last season, in Game 4 at home with Olympiacos Piraeus holding a 2-1 series lead and Ouattara going a career-best 5-for-7 from three-point land and grabbing 4 rebounds in 22 minutes in a victory. Or just last Thursday, with Monaco needing a response after getting beat in the series opener 48 hours earlier, Ouattara started Game 2 with back-to-back triples and finished with 12 points in as many minutes, his highest-scoring night in more than 3 months, helping Monaco tie the series at 1-1.

"I worked harder than everybody else, and that's how I get to play professionally."

For Ouattara, France is home, Lyon is his hometown and the place where he grew up, but he and his sisters have been brought up well aware of their African roots. 

"Our parents, they always remind us where we come from", Ouattara said. "They tried to teach us the way of life, the African way of thinking. So, I grew up with African culture."

Yakuba has family in both countries. Of his four sisters, one lives in Ghana and one in Burkina Faso. Unfortunately, he rarely sees them. He was in Burkina Faso two years ago and plans to go to Ghana, too. His family was there last season.

Those visits help his family keep the ties with African culture, their roots and heritage.  Part of that culture and heritage, however, was not basketball. Burkina Faso and Ghana are countries with little to no basketball tradition, with Ghana not even having a national team despite some Ghanaian-born players playing at elite level, like Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade's Ben Benil, or Amida Brimah of Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse.

So, Ouattara's heritage is one part that makes this a Cinderella-type story. The other, an even larger part, is the way he battled his way up.

Yakuba Ouattara highlights 2022-23

Ouattara discovered basketball on the playgrounds in Lyon's sixth arrondissement. He picked up basketball as a young teenager, but the sport was not his first choice.

"I wanted to be a boxer," he smiled. "I wanted to box. But my dad didn't want that because he said it was too violent. So my best friend was a big fan of basketball and he went into a club and I follow him."  

They went to a small local club, CLAR Lyon Basket, practicing once a week and Ouattara quickly fell in love with the sport.

"From there, I knew that's what I wanted to do."

That does not mean, however, he was good at it right from the start.

"When I started, honestly, I was terrible," Ouattara laughed. "I could not do anything. But I realized that I have some quality, some physical gift, and I tried to be the best. I worked harder than everybody else, and that's how I get to play professionally."

"My dream was to play professional basketball, so I sent my CV. You know, I was kind of desperate."

That approach enabled him to get where he is today, but who knows if his basketball journey would have even happened if he did not get the idea of doing something you rarely hear players do – send his CV to all the French clubs, hoping to get a positive response.

"I was 14, 15 years old and my dream was to play professional basketball, so I sent my CV. You know, I was kind of desperate."

And he was also surprised responses did, indeed, come.

"I remember one morning my mom wakes me up. And she gave me the letter of Chalon sur Saone. I jumped out of bed, it was just amazing for me, like a dream come true, because this is something that I really wanted to do. It was something I did not know if it was possible to do, and it was amazing to see the answers of three or four teams who contacted me, where I went to do some tryouts."

In the end, he chose Chalon and started his basketball journey.

Ouattara made his professional debut with Chalon and had a one-year stop at Denain in the French second division before joining Monaco in 2015. His stay in Monaco was interrupted in 2017-18, when he spent the first part of that season in the NBA and G-League with Brooklyn and Long Island, as well as in the 2020-21 campaign when he was in Spain with Betis Seville. Ouattara has also had a dozen appearances - all since 2019 - with the French national team, and is in his second EuroLeague campaign.

For the Monaco swingman, this all still sounds pretty unbelievable.

"I think this is crazy", he said. "Every time people see me and say 'Oh, you're always smiling, you're always happy', but that's because I'm living a dream. Honestly, that was my dream. Playing basketball is a passion for me. I don't see it as work.

"I know that I'm so blessed to be able to play at this level. Especially when I know where I'm coming from and all the sacrifices that my parents did. So, for me, it's really like living a dream."

Here you can find all the latest injury news surrounding all rostered players in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague. 

EuroLeague injury report

Check out all injuries and absences expected in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague before Games 3 and 4 of the playoffs:

**AS Monaco**

Coach Sasa Obradovic has a full roster at his disposal for Game 3.

**FC Barcelona**

Cory Higgins (back) missed Games 1 and 2 vs. Zalgiris. His status for Game 3 is questionable.

**Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul**

[Devin Booker](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/fenerbahces-booker-out-three-weeks/) (knee) remains sidelined for Game 3 against Olympiacos.

Nemanja Bjelica missed Games 1 and 2. His participation in Game 3 will depend on a head coach's decision.

[Scottie Wilbekin](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/fenerbahces-wilbekin-sidelined-with-knee-injury/) (knee) missed Games 1 and 2. His participation in Game 3 will depend on a head coach's decision.

Samet Geyik missed Games 1 and 2 with an injury.

**Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv**

[Jalen Adams](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/maccabis-adams-out-for-season-after-shoulder-surgery/), who last played in Round 26, is likely out for the season following shoulder surgery.

Austin Hollins has not played since Round 21 due to a knee injury.

**Olympiacos Piraeus**

Olympiacos has a full roster available ahead of its 2023 playoffs debut against Fenerbahce.

**Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade**

Kevin Punter and Mathias Lessort are both [suspended for Game 3](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/disciplinary-judge-issues-decisions-after-game-2-between-real-madrid-and-partizan/).

Dante Exum (toe) has practiced and is available for Game 3, according to head coach Zeljko Obradovic.

[Balsa Koprivica](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/partizan-announces-injuries-to-exum-koprivica/) is practicing after a long layoff due to mononucleosis. His status for Game 3 is uncertain

**Real Madrid**

Guerschon Yabusele and Gabriel Deck are both [suspended for Game 3](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/disciplinary-judge-issues-decisions-after-game-2-between-real-madrid-and-partizan/).

Fabien Causeur is ill and is questionable for Game 3.

Walter Tavares, who missed Game 2 with a knee injury, traveled with the team to Belgrade and is "somewhat better", head coach Chus Mateo said.

Carlos Alocen (knee) is out indefinitely.

**Zalgiris Kaunas**

[Keenan Evans](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/zalgiris-evans-suffers-torn-achilles/) will miss the rest of the season after suffering an Achilles injury.

[Tyler Cavanaugh](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/zalgiriss-tyler-cavanaugh-out-more-three-months/) (back) will remain out until late April after undergoing back surgery.

Liutauras Lelevicius is sidelined with a leg injury.

EuroLeague injury report, Playoffs Game 3

Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul v Olympiacos Piraeus (2023-05-03T17:45:00.000Z)

Zalgiris Kaunas v FC Barcelona (2023-05-03T17:00:00.000Z)

Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade v Real Madrid (2023-05-02T18:30:00.000Z)

The tricks of the trade that can make you a winner during the season in the EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge powered by Ardu Prime are out the window. There are only four games spread over two nights in Game 3, so it's more important than ever to choose the right players than to hedge bets with players on Tuesday who can be removed if they underperform. The major exception is the Partzan Mozzart Bet Belgrade vs. Real Madrid game in which as many as three key players could be missing from each side because of injuries and suspensions. Taking all of that into consideration, here are five players in different price brackets worthy of consideration for your teams this week. 

Fantasy tips, Game 3: No more tricks

**See also:** [Fantasy Challenge, Playoffs Round 3: five on Tuesday, five on Wednesday](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/fantasy-challenge-playoffs-round-3-five-on-tuesday-five-on-wednesday/)

The tricks of the trade that can make you a winner during the season in the EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge powered by Ardu Prime are out the window. There are only four games spread over two nights in Game 3, so it's more important than ever to choose the right players than to hedge bets with players on Tuesday who can be removed if they underperform. The major exception is the Partzan Mozzart Bet Belgrade vs. Real Madrid game in which as many as three key players could be missing from each side because of injuries and suspensions. Taking all of that into consideration, here are five players in different price brackets worthy of consideration for your teams this week.

[Wade Baldwin, Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/wade-baldwin-iv/009863/) (15.2 credits) – In four games against Monaco this season, Baldwin has averaged a PIR of 22.5. Now he's home for Game 3 and the Maccabi crowd can always be counted on to give Baldwin a boost. What's more, Baldwin has a history of big playoff games.

[Ignas Brazdeikis, Zalgiris Kaunas](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/ignas-brazdeikis/011983/) (9.2 credits) – Despite playing in the playoffs for the first time, Brazdeikis has been very productive for Zalgiris so far and now he comes home for Game 3. He averaged 17.0 points with fantastic shooting in the first two games and should be a source of plenty more points this week in Kaunas.

Wade Baldwin Iv, Ignas Brazdeikis, Yam Madar, Vincent Poirier, Moustapha Fall Top Plays from 04/16/2023 to 05/02/2023

EuroLeague Fantasy tips Playoffs Games 3-4

[Moustapha Fall, Olympiacos Piraeus](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/moustapha-fall/008811/) (11.8 credits) – The Reds' center has been tough on Fenerbahce this season with PIRs of at least 18 in three of their four meetings, including Games 1 and 2. The only time he struggled was in Istanbul. Do you think Istanbul is his kryptonite? If not, make Fall your center now! 

[Yam Madar, Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/yam-madar/011052/) (4.6 credits) – The promising Israeli point guard has played a limited role thus far in the playoffs, averaging just 13 minutes through the first two games, but the suspensions and injuries open the door for him to have a much bigger impact on Game 3. For such a low price, he’s a must-add, even if only for the bench. 

[Vincent Poirier, Real Madrid](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/vincent-poirier/004887/) (8.7 credits) – After missing several weeks due to appendicitis, Poirier made his return in Game 2 and produced 12 points and 7 rebounds in 23 minutes. With starting center Walter Tavares’s availability in question and power forward Guerschon Yabusele suspended, Real will need all it can get from Poirier in Game 3.

**See also:** [Fantasy tips, Game 3: No more tricks](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/fantasy-tips-game-3-no-more-tricks)

What an outstanding start of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Playoffs! Only one team, FC Barcelona, managed to win both games at home. Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade became just the second team since the playoffs came back in 2005 to record back-to-back road wins at the start of a series. Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv and Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul each recorded a road victory, stealing the home-court advantage from AS Monaco and Olympiacos Piraeus, respectively. A lot has happened, and the best is yet to come!

My team Gancedato had a good start of the playoffs, scoring 176.05 in Round 1, but not so good in Game 2. My sixth man Sertac Sanli of Barca scored negative points, and so did my head coach Georgios Bartzokas of Olympiacos. Even when I had a solid team captain in Barca star forward Nikola Mirotic, I ended up scoring 110.6 fantasy points, ranking 1,822nd overall out of over 110,000 teams. I would like to finish in the Top 1,500, which is around 50 points away from my current ranking. We will see.

Unlimited trading is allowed from now on until the end of the season, so I decided to start over and sell everybody but Vezenkov and Anthony Randolph of Real Madrid, his team's one and only option at power forward right now. I am getting five players stepping on court on Tuesday, and five more playing on Wednesday. My head coach will be Oded Kattash of Maccabi, as his team has a home winning record like no other this season.

Without Mathias Lessort, [Alen Smailagic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/alen-smailagic/011051/) should see extended playing time and he will be my backup center. Since Kevin Punter is unavailable, too, I am going for [Aleksa Avramovic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/aleksa-avramovic/003983/), who has been red-hot lately. I am getting two star guards from Game 3 in Tel Aviv: [Wade Baldwin](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/wade-baldwin-iv/009863/) of Maccabi and [Jordan Loyd](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/jordan-loyd/009754/) of Monaco. Aside from Vezenkov, I am buying [Johnathan Motley](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/johnathan-motley/011157/) and [Nigel Hayes-Davis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/nigel-hayes-davis/008962/) of Fenerbahce, [Isaiah Taylor](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/isaiah-taylor/012068/) and [Ignas Brazdeikis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/ignas-brazdeikis/011983/) of Zalgiris Kaunas, and Mirotic.

You can take a look at my team here:

So, I am getting five scores on Tuesday, plus Coach Kattash, and five on Wednesday. If all series go to Game 4, I will repeat the same strategy. I like the fact that I have a powerful bench featuring Vezenkov, Mirotic and Bradzeikis, who comes off an outstanding week. 

Remember, the 2022-23 [EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge powered by Ardu Prime](https://euroleaguefantasy.euroleaguebasketball.net/es/home?_ga=2.86227672.1133629268.1683010644-884385655.1669721726) features better prizes than ever, so get your game on now!

And don't forget to use #fantasychallenge on social media all season long. Good luck!

Fantasy Challenge, Playoffs Round 3: five on Tuesday, five on Wednesday

Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul v Olympiacos Piraeus (2023-05-05T17:45:00.000Z)

Zalgiris Kaunas v FC Barcelona (2023-05-05T17:00:00.000Z)

Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade v Real Madrid (2023-05-04T18:30:00.000Z)

Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv v AS Monaco (2023-05-04T18:05:00.000Z)

  #RememberTheWhy with Alex Abrines: "I had a rough time"

FC Barcelona swingman Alex Abrines is enjoying basketball more than ever before. Abrines is in his second season with Barca, the club he first joined as a teenager in 2012. He was drafted by the NBA's Oklahoma City Thunder before his 20th birthday and eventually played three seasons there before he felt the need to step away from basketball due to mental health matters. It was hard for him to even think about basketball but with the help of friends, family and mental health professionals, Abrines found the joy to play basketball again and returned to Barcelona to compete for the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague title. 

"I'm so happy. Obviously, I had a rough time years ago and I thought I couldn't be playing basketball anymore. But luckily, with work and with the help of professionals, I was able to enjoy the game and actually enjoy it way more than I was enjoying it before it happened. So I'm really happy that I could make it to this part I am now," Abrines said.

Abrines said he waited longer than expected to talk about his problem and will be forever thankful to his wife for stepping up for him when he had a breakdown in Oklahoma City. 

"When I was there, it was only me and my wife, so obviously, she was the main pillar for my recovery. Obviously, I had help from professionals on the team and outside of the team. But it reached one point that I should have talked before. At one point, I didn't talk enough and it hit me in the face and I couldn't do anything to stop it," Abrines said. "So I decided to take care of my mental health because it was my priority and I stopped playing basketball for probably six months, more or less.

"And then, well, with time I was getting better and thinking about basketball again and trying. I wanted to try, to see how I felt and luckily I felt better than expected, and now I can play and be happy and don't think about what happened before."

Being a professional basketball player comes with a lot of pressure, not just from fans and teams, but also from oneself, if you are a fierce competitor like Abrines is. 

"It's tougher than they think. I think it's not only playing against people. There is a lot of pressure from coaches, and obviously from yourself because, of course, you want to play at your highest every game and every practice. And, you know, it doesn't work like that. So I think you got to work on your brain and your mental health like you work on your physical game or your tactical game," he said. "It's part of you and it's really an important part of you. I learned a lot from that. Now, I think teams or players are seeking help before, just try to prevent like you prevent injuries, and I think we are improving in this position."

When he felt it was time to come back, Abrines released an open letter to basketball in video format called #QueridoBalon (#DearBall). He started it with "Dear friend, what a mess! So much time spent together and you do this to me", and ended it with "Dear ball, I am back, it's me, Alex. Thank you for always being there waiting." Abrines felt he could help some people by expressing his feelings. 

"When I reached that point that I couldn't even look at basketball on TV or touch the ball, like I started to think why this was happening to me. Then with recovery, I just realized that the problem was not basketball. And that's why I wrote the letter also, because I know so many people are going through those problems, and I know I just wanted to try to help," Abrines said.

"If they see that I or a professional basketball player has those problems, that it's supposed to be like a privilege. And we have money, we have the best cars, we have everything, and we are going through that, like, anybody could go through that. So I think we did a pretty good job, my team and I, with that video letter, because I had so many messages after that saying that I helped him a lot." 

Barca reached out to him during those tough times and when it was time to return to basketball, it was Abrines's first choice, too. 

"They were really supportive, actually. I got a phone call from the president back in the day just saying that if I needed anything, they were there to help. Also, the club where I was playing, Oklahoma, also did the same, even though I was not with the club anymore. So I was lucky with that, even though I wasn't playing for any club at the moment, I had two of those that I played for that were ready to help, and they were worried about me," Abrines said. 

"So obviously when I started to think about playing basketball again, I think Barca was the only option. I know I wanted to be back home and after what happened, I just needed to feel like home and Barca was the only club."

#RememberTheWhy with Alex Abrines: 'I had a rough time'

There were a lot of expectations when Ignas Brazdeikis joined Zalgiris Kaunas and he has lived up to them as one of the best and most fun-to-watch newcomers in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague this season. Brazdeikis has an unusual story that has led him all the way back to his hometown to become a EuroLeague star.

 Ignas Brazdeikis: 'Playing for Zalgiris is a blessing' 

There were a lot of expectations when [Ignas Brazdeikis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/ignas-brazdeikis/011983/) joined Zalgiris Kaunas and he has lived up to them as one of the best and most fun-to-watch newcomers in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague this season. Brazdeikis has an unusual story that has led him all the way back to his hometown to become a EuroLeague star. 

Brazdeikis was born in Kaunas but his parents, Diana and Sigitas "Sigis", soon emigrated to America along with Ignas's older sister Ema. They moved to Chicago, USA, before relocating to Winnipeg, Canada, and then settling in Etobicoke, a suburb of Toronto. That's where Brazdeikis started to play basketball at the age of 6. 

Of course, Brazdeikis doesn't remember much about his childhood in Kaunas. 

"I was really young, so it's difficult to really remember anything. I do remember being around a lot of family, which was nice. And then the old castle in Kaunas downtown area. I remember visiting there a lot with my family, so not too much," Brazdeikis said. "I came back only a couple of times. It was tough to come back for a whole family, just financially, everything. It's a big trip. So it definitely wasn't easy. But we kept in touch through Skype, FaceTime, any way that we could."

Like every proud Lithuanian basketball fan, Brazdeikis kept track of Zalgiris's EuroLeague results, long before he ever considered playing professional basketball. 

Ignas Brazdeikis, Zalgiris: "I am very excited to be here"

"I did as much as I can, and I feel like they have done a great job establishing themselves in the EuroLeague," he said. "They have been there since the beginning, so I think they have done a great job over the years."

Just like he has trouble remembering living in Kaunas, Bradzeikis can hardly remember a time when he didn't play basketball. 

"I kind of started playing outside at the park first and just kind of fell in love with it there. I would spend hours there," he said. "My Mom would have to come get me and tell me to come back inside. But I love playing the game. Fell in love with it right away. And then my Dad just put me in the position to succeed."

In what ways did Sigis help Ignas? He helped as much as a father can help a kid who loves playing sports, even traveling outside Canada to take him to tournaments. 

"I think with his leadership and the positions that he is put me in and allowing me to grow in the game of basketball," Brazdeikis said. "Without him, I definitely don't know where I would be along with my family. They have always been very supportive. All the trips that we made to the States from Canada and all the camps, and playing on all these teams and everything, they just put me in the position that I needed to be in." 

"I love playing the game. Fell in love with it right away."

Another Canadian-Lithuanian player with EuroLeague experience, Nik Stauskas, played a key role in his development, suggesting that he play for the University of Michigan in 2018. Stauskas prepared him for any possible scenario out there. 

"He definitely helped me in the process of picking what school I wanted to go to, in terms of college. He went to Michigan. I ended up going to Michigan, but he just kind of told me what it was going to be like, what to expect at that level and then as well as in the NBA," he said. "So I talked to him about EuroLeague as well. So he's kind of giving me some insight and good information on what to expect at these new levels."

Brazdeikis played for Michigan in the 2018-19 season and spent the next three campaigns split between the NBA and the G League before joining Zalgiris last summer. He relied on Zalgiris's most experienced players to adjust right away. 

"The veterans they have here, they have definitely helped to explain what to expect," he said. "They definitely gave me some good insight."

Ignas Brazdeikis, Zalgiris: 2022-23 highlights

As every Lithuanian, playing for Zalgiris goes beyond just joining a professional national team and Ignas explained that well. 

"It's a blessing. I'm very excited. Once this kind of became a realistic opportunity, it definitely got my excitement up. I am very excited to be here, very excited to play for Kaunas and play for Lithuania in the EuroLeague."

 When it comes to Brazdeikis, one mystery remains. He does everything in life with his right hand, but shoots left-handed. Why is that? 

 "I don't know! Good question!" Brazdeikis said. "I kind of ask myself that still. I just started playing with my left hand, just started shooting with my left hand naturally. I didn't force it or anything. You know how all kids start with two hands shooting and then it just kind of switched over to my left and it felt good. So I just went with it. And I'm happy it went that way."

Ignas Brazdeikis: 'Playing for Zalgiris is a blessing'

Two teams can secure a ticket to the Final Four and two more are looking to maintain home-court advantage. Here's your guide to Game 3 of the playoffs on Tuesday and Wednesday!

### [Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv vs. AS Monaco ](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2022-23/maccabi-playtika-tel-aviv-as-monaco/E2022/316/)

Maccabi will hope that the regular season's best home record – 15 wins with just 2 losses – will again hold firm as it seeks to take control of a series tied 1-1 against Monaco. Game 2's MVP Jordan Loyd will again look to inspire the Roca Team after he poured in a career-high 33 points last time out. Nonetheless, Maccabi's deadly backcourt duo of Lorenzo Brown and Wade Baldwin, with a combined average of 34 points and 10 assists in the series so far, can always be relied upon to deliver the goods for Maccabi.

Monaco-Maccabi - Playoffs Game 2 - Highlights

### [Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade vs. Real Madrid ](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2022-23/partizan-mozzart-bet-belgrade-real-madrid/E2022/317/)

Partizan needs one more win to secure a Final Four berth but will be missing Kevin Punter, Mathias Lessort and Dante Exum for the visit of Real, which will have to do without Gabriel Deck and Guerschon Yabusele. The Spanish team will desperately hope that dominant big man Walter Tavares can return with full effectiveness after missing Game 2 with a knee injury, and will need Vincent Poirier to carry a heavy load inside the paint, while Partizan's weakened backcourt will see a bigger role for young playmaker Yam Madar. 

Real Madrid-Partizan  - Playoffs Game 2 - Highlights

### [Zalgiris Kaunas vs. FC Barcelona](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2022-23/zalgiris-kaunas-fc-barcelona/E2022/318/) 

Two defeats last week mean that Zalgiris faces the mountainous task of needing three consecutive victories over Barcelona. The host will certainly be able to count on the backing of a sold-out crowd, but the priority for Kazys Maksvytis's team is to slow down a Barca offense that scored 91 and 89 points in the first two games. Local hero Saras Jasikevicius will have no mercy as his team seeks a quick return to Zalgirio Arena for the Final Four, and star man Nikola Mirotic – with an average of 18.5 points in the first two games – is in top form.

Barcelona-Zalgiris - Playoffs Game 2 - Highlights

### [Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul vs. Olympiacos Piraeus](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2022-23/fenerbahce-beko-istanbul-olympiacos-piraeus/E2022/315/) 

With the series tied after Fenerbahce's impressive road win in Piraeus on Friday, the Turkish titan will now look to make home-court advantage count against an Olympiacos team desperate to bounce back. The all-round talents of Nigel Hayes-Davis – who had 15 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists in the Round 2 triumph – will be vital for a Fenerbahce team that will again have to subdue the threat of this season's leading scorer, Sasha Vezenkov, who scored 11 of his 18 points on Friday from the free throw line.

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