Name: Petrusev with a ferocious dunk! Motorola Magic Moment
Channel: Euroleague Basketball

Filip Petrusev rocks the rim with a two-hander after a lovely assist from Luka Mitrovic

Petrusev with a ferocious dunk! Motorola Magic Moment

FC Bayern Munich v Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade (2025-04-15T18:30:00.000Z)

The trio of EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge Podcast co-hosts are back together again with Javier Gancedo making his triumphant return alongside Vasiliki Karamouza and Frankie Sachs. There is only main topic of conversation this week: The Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Play-In Showdown.

The Fantasy Challenge Podcast tackles the Play-In Showdown

The trio of EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge Podcast co-hosts are back together again with [Javier Gancedo](https://eur04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fx.com%2Fganchetto&data=05%7C02%7Cigor.petrinovic%40euroleague.net%7C78f411fe745c432da56508dd7b56c320%7C2b3d64f0329542979f1528435f0a62ce%7C1%7C0%7C638802334749751491%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=8DKh%2BlF4corkMBAdaOaCieST%2BUgrtvMtJae4Zk09uoI%3D&reserved=0) making his triumphant return alongside [Vasiliki Karamouza](https://eur04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fx.com%2Fkaramouza_vas&data=05%7C02%7Cigor.petrinovic%40euroleague.net%7C78f411fe745c432da56508dd7b56c320%7C2b3d64f0329542979f1528435f0a62ce%7C1%7C0%7C638802334749767493%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=3sAFU21%2Fno29DHV7IoXkiDi3IBRJLJ32pGJ%2FpBP58EM%3D&reserved=0) and [Frankie Sachs](https://eur04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fx.com%2FMrEuroleague&data=05%7C02%7Cigor.petrinovic%40euroleague.net%7C78f411fe745c432da56508dd7b56c320%7C2b3d64f0329542979f1528435f0a62ce%7C1%7C0%7C638802334749778256%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=t830C3BcgSc7yJU4%2BG1rjayHdVh6A7tj%2BY8%2F%2F9U1B0M%3D&reserved=0). There is only main topic of conversation this week: The Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Play-In Showdown.

The trio discusses the best strategy to employ for Tuesday's two games and what risks are worth taking. There is a lot of overlap between the three of them with the likes of TJ Shorts, Walter Tavares and Filip Petrusev universally recommended. In fact, Frankie and Javi chose identical starting lineups!

Time is of the essence with the Play-In Showdown tipping on Tuesday when FC Bayern Munich hosts Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade at 20:30 CEST, so make sure to have your lineups finalized by then. And, as always, good luck, fantasy fans.

Javier Gancedo makes his triumphant return to the show alongside co-hosts Vasiliki Karamouza and Frankie Sachs

Real Madrid v Paris Basketball (2025-04-15T19:00:00.000Z)

Antonio Blakeney ranked second in the EuroCup in scoring on a per-minute basis with an average of 26.7 points over 40 minutes. And now, for the first time in his professional career, Blakeney is a champion, too. 

Tribute to the Champs: Antonio Blakeney

Some say that "timing is everything". For [Antonio Blakeney](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/antonio-blakeney/013402/) in the 2024-25 BKT EuroCup, that was certainly the case. 

The guard had his best stretch of the season when it mattered most, playing a decisive role for Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv in the semifinals and the finals to lead the club to glory. Blakeney had three of his four best-scoring games all season in the final stretch with 22 points in Game 2 of the semifinals, 32 in Game 3 and 27 in the deciding game of the finals. He tied for the finals lead in scoring (22.0 ppg.), steals (1.5 spg.) and PIR (23.5). 

Scoring in bunches is what Blakeney does best and that is exactly what he did for Hapoel in the finals. In the series opener, he scored 10 of his 17 points in the first quarter and then in Game 2 he erupted for 18 points in the third quarter.

Blakeney was a mid-season addition, who debuted in the EuroCup in Round 7. He found his rhythm during a stretch between Rounds 10 and 14 when he averaged 16.2 points on 52.2% three-point shooting, but then cooled off and did not score at all in three of his next four appearances. However, Coach Dimitris Itoudis encouraged him to work harder and when the playoffs arrived, Blakeney was ready for primetime. He finished the season averaging 13.4 points per game and ranked [second in the EuroCup in scoring on a per-minute basis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/stats/expanded/?size=25&viewType=traditional&seasonCode=U2024&statisticMode=perMinute&seasonMode=Single&sortDirection=descending&statistic=score) with an average of 26.7 points over 40 minutes. And now, for the first time in his professional career, Blakeney is a champion, too.

More Hapoel Tel Aviv News

The instant-offense guard was at his best in the biggest games of the season

Tribute to the Champs: Antonio Blakeney 

All the latest injury news surrounding all registered players ahead of the 2025 EuroLeague Play-In Showdown.

EuroLeague injury report: Play-In Showdown

Follow all the latest injury information for registered players in the 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Play-In Showdown, as reported by the clubs, and get your [EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge](https://euroleaguefantasy.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/home?_ga=2.101462721.1199459303.1696273873-903329349.1669636775) teams up to date!

### FC Bayern Munich vs. Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade (20:30 CEST)

#### FC Bayern Munich

Bayern has not yet sent an injury report for its play-in game against Crvena Zvezda on Tuesday.

- Oscar da Silva, who last played in Round 27, is out for 'the coming weeks', the club announced on March 6.

#### Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade

Joel Bolomboy and Milos Teodosic are both ruled out for Crvena Zvezda's play-in game at Bayern on Tuesday, the club has confirmed.

- Joel Bolomboy is out for 3-6 weeks after spraining his ankle, [the club announced on March 14](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/joel-bolomboy-out-3-6-weeks-with-ankle-sprain/).
- Luka Mitrovic and Mike Daum both returned to action in Round 34 after being out with injuries.

### Real Madrid vs. Paris Basketball (21:00 CEST)

#### Real Madrid

Real Madrid has not yet sent an injury report for its play-in game against Paris on Tuesday.

- Bruno Fernando did not play in Round 33 nor Round 34, but he did feature in the Spanish League last weekend.
- Eli Ndiaye, who last played in Round 28, [has been dealing with a shoulder issue](https://x.com/pilarcasado/status/1909957418328502603).
- Xavier Rathan-Mayes last played in Round 27 but has been fit and ready to go.

#### Paris Basketball

Real Madrid has not yet sent an injury report for its play-in game at Real Madrid on Tuesday.

- Maodo Lo is out for 'several weeks' with a hamstring injury, [the club's website stated on March 24](https://parisbasketball.com/en/2025/03/medical-statement-from-paris-basketball/).
- Daulton Hommes is out for 'several months' with a hand injury, [the club's website stated on March 24](https://parisbasketball.com/en/2025/03/medical-statement-from-paris-basketball/).
- Leon Kratzer is out for an 'indefinite period' due to personal reasons, [the club's website stated on March 24](https://parisbasketball.com/en/2025/03/medical-statement-from-paris-basketball/).
- Enzo Shahrvin has been deregistered.

Stay up to date with the latest information provided by the EuroLeague clubs

Injury report, play-in: Teodosic, Bolomboy missing for Crvena Zvezda

Paris Basketball shooting guard Nadir Hifi has been chosen as the 2024-25 EuroLeague Rising Star Trophy winner. The 23-year-old becomes the first French player to secure the prize.

Paris's Nadir Hifi is the 2024-25 EuroLeague Rising Star

Paris Basketball shooting guard Nadir Hifi has been chosen as the 2024-25 EuroLeague Rising Star Trophy winner. The 22-year-old becomes the first French player to secure the prize. Hifi managed to do so in his first season in the competition as he helped EuroLeague debutante Paris reach the postseason.

Voted for by EuroLeague head coaches, the Rising Star Trophy recognizes the best player each season who was younger than 22 on July 1 of the previous summer. Hifi was eligible by just a few days, as he was born on July 16, 2002, two weeks before the deadline. Hifi was the runaway leader in this season's voting, followed by Matthew Stazel of AS Monaco, who was second. Melvin Ajinca of LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne was third, Hugo Gonzalez of Real Madrid fourth, while Juan Nunez of FC Barcelona and Matteo Spagnolo of ALBA Berlin tied for fifth place.

Hifi quickly made sure he would be remembered for more than his haircut and run-and-gun playing style. In just his third EuroLeague game, Hifi scored 20 points against defending champion Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens, leading Paris to an 84-80 victory. It was the first of seven times that Hifi reached the 20-point mark.

Hifi led all Rising Star eligible players this season in points (14.7 ppg.) and PIR (10.4). He was also the best per-minute scorer in the regular season. Hifi averaged 29.8 points per 40 minutes, edging of Carsen Edwards of FC Bayern Munich (28.6) and his Paris teammate TJ Shorts (27.6). Hifi was also first in three-pointers made per 40 minutes (5.0). He finished the regular season with averages of 14.7 points, 2.1 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 3.0 fouls drawn per game. He was one of 41 players to take part in all 34 regular season games and one of only two players to come off the bench in all of those games.

Born in Strasbourg, France, Hifi started his career with local fourth-division team Illkirch-Graffenstaden before joining ESSM Le Portel Cote d'Opale, where he played for three seasons. He joined Paris in the summer of 2023 and helped the team win the French Leaders Cup and the BKT EuroCup titles last season. Hifi has also been a member of the French national team.

The first-ever Rising Star award went to Erazem Lorbek of Climamio Bologna in 2005. He was followed by Andrea Bargnani of Benetton Treviso in 2006; Rudy Fernandez of Joventut Badalona in 2007; Danilo Gallinari of EA7 Emporio Armani Milano in 2008; Novica Velickovic of Partizan Belgrade in 2009; Ricky Rubio of FC Barcelona in 2010; Nikola Mirotic of Real Madrid in 2011 and 2012; Kostas Papanikolaou of Olympiacos Piraeus in 2013; Bogdan Bogdanovic of Partizan in 2014 and again with Fenerbahce Istanbul in 2015; Alex Abrines of Barca in 2016; Luka Doncic of Real Madrid in 2017 and 2018; Goga Bitadze of Buducnost VOLI Podgorica in 2019; Usman Garuba of Real in 2021; Rokas Jokubaitis of Barcelona in 2022; Yam Madar of Partizan in 2023 and Gabriele Procida of ALBA Berlin in 2024.

The 'Prince of Paris' has impressed in his first EuroLeague season

Panathinaikos OPAP Athens announced on Tuesday that it has signed star forward Cedi Osman for two more seasons

Panathinaikos, Cedi Osman pen two-year extension 

Panathinaikos OPAP Athens announced on Tuesday that it has signed star forward [Cedi Osman](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/cedi-osman/004088/) for two more seasons. Osman (2.04 meters, 30 years old) joined the Greens in September and averaged 7.9 points and 2.4 rebounds over 32 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague games. It marked his first season in the competition since 2016-17 with Osman spending seven seasons in the NBA – six with the Cleveland Cavaliers and one with San Antonio Spurs – in between. In his first season in the NBA, Osman was a member of the Cavaliers squad – alongside the likes of LeBron James, Kevin Love and J.R. Smith – that reached the 2018 NBA Finals.

Cedi Osman's top plays from the 2024-25 regular season

His best NBA campaign came in the 2018-19 season, the first after James’s departure, as he averaged career highs in points (13.0 ppg.) and rebounds (4.7 rpg.) in 76 regular-season games as a full-time starter. Osman remained a key player for the Cavs throughout the rest of his time in Cleveland, although he was a regular bench player in the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons.

Osman is a product of the Anadolu Efes Istanbul junior setup and debuted in the EuroLeague with the club in 2013. He also played one season on loan at Pertevniyal Istanbul. He was a long-time member of the Turkish national team and has represented his country at the Basketball World Cup and the European Championships.

<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="und" dir="ltr">Ο Τσεντί Οσμάν στον Παναθηναϊκό AKTOR έως το 2027 ☘️<br><br>Η ΚΑΕ Παναθηναϊκός AKTOR ανακοινώνει την επέκταση της συνεργασίας της με τον Τσεντί Οσμάν έως το καλοκαίρι του 2027.<br><br>—<br><br>Cedi Osman to remain with Panathinaikos AKTOR until 2027 ☘️<br><br>Panathinaikos BC AKTOR is pleased to… <a href="https://t.co/CULg5jfC6B">pic.twitter.com/CULg5jfC6B</a></p>&mdash; Panathinaikos BC (@Paobcgr) <a href="https://twitter.com/Paobcgr/status/1912053817966788616?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 15, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

More Panathinaikos news

The Greens have locked up the star forward for two more seasons

Panathinaikos, Cedi Osman pen two-year extension

Check out what the coaches and players are saying ahead of the 2025 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Play-In Showdown.

Pregame quotes hub: Play-In Showdown

### FC Bayern Munich vs. Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade (20:30 CET)

**Gordon Herbert, FC Bayern Munich head coach**

"After the poor performance in our last game against Fenerbahce, we have a chance to bounce back in front of our own fans. Of course, there’s pressure now, but we’re confident and can handle it. Pressure also means you’re fighting for something meaningful — something you’ve earned. That’s what we’ve worked for all year. The key will be to start better than we did against Fener. Then the crowd will really be in the game with us. It’s a do-or-die game — we have to come out focused and pay attention to the details on every possession. In big games like this, it’s also crucial to stick together — on the court and on the bench — staying tightly connected, even when mistakes happen. We’ll need to go beyond our limits in terms of effort. It’s our fifth game in 10 days, okay, but there are no excuses at this point."

**Nick Weiler-Babb, FC Bayern Munich guard**

"We’re not in the playoffs yet, unfortunately, but we still have the chance to make it. It’s going to be a very hard-fought game — a lot is on the line for both teams. The good thing is we’re playing at home with the crowd behind us. Crvena Zvezda is a very physical team, and they have a lot of scoring threats. The key will be which team plays better defense."

**Ioannis Sfairopoulos, Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade head coach**

"We are starting the play-in – this is different from the league part. This is a knockout game. The result is very important. We know the importance of the game, we have to fight hard because we are playing against a strong team, especially on their home court. They are talented, especially on offense, so we have to play as well as possible. It is important that we control the game and play good defense; they have such a team and players who can find their rhythm and kill you. That's why I say that we have to control the game, to do what we can. To read their intentions."

**Dejan Davidovac, Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade forward**

"A difficult game, for sure. They play well at home, where they've had just four defeats all season. They are in a good rhythm, and so are we. We've lost some games, we've been unlucky, but I think we're playing well even though the games we've lost – we've lost in tight finishes near the end. We are aware that we are playing well – we will go to Munich with that mentality. We are in a good rhythm and we should continue like this."

### Real Madrid vs. Paris Basketball (21:00 CET)

**Chus Mateo, Real Madrid head coach**

"We have to achieve the goal we set at the beginning of the year: to fight to be as high as possible, and this play-in is a bridge to the playoffs that we have to take advantage of. I think the team is mentally strong and I feel that we are ready to face a big game at Movistar Arena, with our fans, knowing that what happens depends a lot on our performance as a team and our mentality: not turning the ball over, not thinking the game is won or lost because we are up or down on the scoreboard, but fighting until the end. We need the help of our fans and I think we have earned the support of our fans at home to go to the playoffs."

**Alberto Abalde, Real Madrid forward**

"We head into this play-in with a lot of optimism. We expect a very difficult game against a team that is enjoying a spectacular season, a special and different team because of the way they play like Paris Basketball. Paris has a very high rhythm, many weapons on offense, many options: creators like TJ Shorts and \[Nadir\] Hifi and then a good group of players who accompany and complement them, who create danger at any time. We must try to prevent them from playing comfortably to lower their scoring and be solid, control the rebounding and, from there, impose our rhythm. It is a game that could allow us to qualify for the playoffs and therefore it is key. The home court factor is also very important because we feel very supported by our fans at the Movistar Arena. We play there with extra motivation and we are sure that tomorrow they will help us."

Pregame quotes hub, play-in: 'There are no excuses at this point'

Kendrick Nunn was mic’d up during one of the most intense games of the regular season — and nothing was off-limits. From defensive commands to emotional outbursts, arguments with refs, and leadership in clutch moments… you hear it all.

Kendrick Nunn Mic’d up | AS Monaco vs. Panathinaikos

Kendrick Nunn was mic’d up during one of the most intense games of the regular season — and nothing was off-limits. From defensive commands to emotional outbursts, arguments with refs, and leadership in clutch moments… you hear it all.

This is Nunn, unfiltered.

Kendrick NUNN Got MIC’D UP and SCORED BIG | AS Monaco - Panathinaikos

Kendrick Nunn Mic’d up  | AS Monaco vs. Panathinaikos

AS Monaco v Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens (2025-04-03T17:00:00.000Z)

Kendrick Nunn of Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens claimed another individual award by winning the 2024-25 Alphonso Ford EuroLeague Top Scorer Trophy thanks to his regular season-best average of 21.1 points per game

Kendrick Nunn is the 2024-25 Alphonso Ford Top Scorer Trophy winner

In just his second Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season, [Kendrick Nunn](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/kendrick-nunn/012774/) of Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens claimed another individual award by winning the 2024-25 Alphonso Ford EuroLeague Top Scorer Trophy thanks to his regular season-best average of [21.1 points per game](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/stats/expanded/?size=25&viewType=traditional&seasonCode=E2024&statisticMode=perGame&seasonMode=Single&sortDirection=descending&statistic=score). Nunn was one of two players who set the EuroLeague’s regular season scoring record with 696 total points. [Carsen Edwards](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/carsen-edwards/011987/) of FC Bayern Munich matched Nunn in total points, but finished second in the scoring race due to having played one more game than Nunn.

The Ford Trophy is the only post-season award based solely on statistics. Nunn overtook Edwards and [Sasha Vezenkov](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/sasha-vezenkov/003469/) of Olympiacos Piraeus in the second half of the season for the top spot. Edwards was second in this race at 20.5 points per game. Vezenkov was third (20.5 ppg.), [TJ Shorts](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/tj-shorts/012608/) of Paris Basketball fourth (18.7 ppg.) and [Nikola Mirotic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/nikola-mirotic/000796/) of EA7 Emporio Armani Milan fifth (17.7 ppg.).

When Nunn was on fire, he was unstoppable. He became the first scorer in EuroLeague history to rack up at least 35 points in a game three times in a season. Only four players had managed to reach 35 points twice in a single campaign: [Markus Howard](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/markus-howard/011948/) (2023-24), [Mike James](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/mike-james/005985/) (2020-21), [Shane Larkin](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/shane-larkin/007200/) (2019-20) and the late [Alphonso Ford](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/alphonso-ford/acf/) (2000-01). Nunn led the competition in three-pointers made with 101 and was also fourth in two-point shots made. He converted 42.6% of his three-pointers and 85.6% of his free throw attempts.

<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">NUNN BETTER 🔥<br><br>Kendrick Nunn is the 2024-25 Alphonso Ford Top Scorer Trophy winner 🏆<br><br>The <a href="https://twitter.com/Paobcgr?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Paobcgr</a> superstar was the regular season scoring leader with 21.1 points per game🎯 <a href="https://t.co/my4ONzmdDU">pic.twitter.com/my4ONzmdDU</a></p>&mdash; Turkish Airlines EuroLeague (@EuroLeague) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague/status/1911821041745220073?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 14, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></center>

Nunn, who recently signed a contract extension with Panathinaikos through the end of the 2027-28 season, is in his second season with the Greens. Last season, he was chosen to the [All-EuroLeague First Team](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/meet-the-2023-24-all-euroleague-first-team/), was the [MVP for April/May 2024](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/april-may-mvp-kendrick-nunn-panathinaikos-aktor-athens/) and helped the club win its first EuroLeague championship since 2011. Nunn was chosen as the [EuroLeague MVP for February 2025](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/kendrick-nunn-shines-as-euroleagues-mvp-for-february/), too.

The award is named after Alphonso Ford, who died of leukemia in September 2004 after a brilliant career in which he was the competition's leading scorer twice, in 2000-01 and 2001-02, both seasons with Olympiacos Piraeus. He subsequently led Montepaschi Siena in scoring as it reached the 2003 Final Four. Ford owns the EuroLeague's all-time best scoring average with 22.2 points in 54 career games. Nunn is now second on the list at 18.5 points per night.

Nunn is the 16th winner of the Ford Trophy since it was first awarded in 2005. Three players won the award multiple times. [Igor Rakocevic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/igor-rakocevic/anb/) did so with Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz in 2007 and 2008 and won a third with Anadolu Efes Istanbul in 2011. [Keith Langford](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/keith-langford/001887/) first won with Olimpia Milan in 2014 and then with UNICS Kazan in 2017. [Alexey Shved](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/alexey-shved/kvz/) won with Khimki Moscow Region in 2018 and 2021.

The other Ford Trophy winners are [Markus Howard](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/baskonias-markus-howard-wins-the-2023-24-alphonso-ford-top-scorer-trophy/) with Baskonia (2024), [Vezenkov](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/sasha-vezenkov-captures-the-2022-23-ford-top-scorer-trophy/) with Olympiacos (2023), [Vasilije Micic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/2021-22-alphonso-ford-top-scorer-trophy-winner-vasilije-micic-anadolu-efes-istanbul/?pageTitle=Homepage&historyUrl=/euroleague/) with Efes (2022); James with Milan (2019); [Nando De Colo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/nando-de-colo/002100/) with CSKA Moscow (2016); [Taylor Rochestie](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/taylor-rochestie/002972/) with Nizhny Novgorod (2015); [Bobby Brown](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/bobby-brown/000129/) (2013) and [Bo McCalebb](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/bo-mccalebb/002014/) (2012), both with Montepaschi Siena; [Linas Kleiza](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/linas-kleiza/001925/) with Olympiacos (2010); [Marc Salyers](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/marc-salyers/teu/) with Chorale Roanne (2008); [Drew Nicholas](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/drew-nicholas/kng/) with Benetton Treviso (2006); and [Charles Smith](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/charles-smith/ctn/) with Scavolini Pesaro in the award's original season, 2005.

More on Kendrick Nunn

The Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens superstar was the regular season scoring leader with 21.1 points per game

By leading Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv to the 2024-25 BKT EuroCup championship, Coach Dimitris Itoudis became the fourth man to ever guide clubs to glory in both the EuroCup and the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

Dimitris Itoudis has joined a select club of coaches

By leading Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv to the 2024-25 BKT EuroCup championship, Coach Dimitris Itoudis became the fourth man to ever guide clubs to glory in both the EuroCup and the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague.

It was an unusual campaign for Itoudis. When he took the coaching reins at Hapoel from his former assistant coach Stefanos Dedas in November, it marked the first time in his coaching career that Itoudis had joined a team midseason. And then he led Hapoel to 12 wins in its final 15 games.

Itoudis helped Hapoel finish second in Regular Season Group B before the team skipped past Turk Telekom Ankara, Valencia Basket and Dreamland Gran Canaria - going 5-1 in the playoffs - to lift the trophy. He joined Dusan Ivkovic, David Blatt and Ergin Ataman as the only coaches to win both the EuroLeague and EuroCup.

Itoudis had previously won EuroLeague titles as head coach of CSKA Moscow in 2016 and 2019. He has five more EuroLeague crowns as Zeljko Obradovic's top assistant coach with Panathinaikos Athens (2000, 2002, 2007, 2009 and 2011).

"I was surprised I didn't know about that. That's another blessing. The fans know my relation with the late Dusan, "Duda" and his family, Nena \[Ivkovic's wife\], Petar and Pavle \[his sons\]. And being among also great coaches like David and also Ergin, it's a blessing," Ivkovic said after the last game of the finals on Friday. "I'm proud to be among this great group of coaches: Dusan, Ergin and David."

The late Ivkovic was the first coach to win both titles. In 1997, he led Olympiacos to the EuroLeague crown by downing FC Barcelona 73-58 in the championship game. Almost a decade later, Ivkovic helped Dynamo Moscow become one of the first champions in EuroCup history. Dynamo defeated Aris Thessaloniki 73-60 in the 2006 EuroCup final. Ivkovic went on to lift the EuroLeague trophy for the second time with Olympiacos in 2012.

David Blatt was the second coach to join this club. He led Maccabi Tel Aviv to the 2014 EuroLeague championship, beating Real Madrid 86-98 in overtime in the championship game behind an outstanding effort from Final Four MVP Tyrese Rice. Coach Blatt went on to lift the EuroCup with Darussafaka Istanbul in 2018, defeating heavy favorite and previously undefeated Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar 0-2 in the best-of-three finals. Rice is also a EuroLeague and EuroCup champion as a player: in 2015, he led Khimki Moscow Region to EuroCup glory as the season and Final Four MVP.

By the time Coach Blatt joined the club, Ergin Ataman was already a EuroCup champion. He claimed the EuroCup with Galatasaray Istanbul after beating Strasbourg in the two-game total-points finals in 2016. Ataman then won back-to-back EuroLeague crowns with Anadolu Efes Istanbul in 2021 and 2022 and again celebrated by winning the trophy with Panathinaikos last season.

Ataman, Blatt and Ivkovic also won other European competitions in which Itoudis has never coached or been a part of as head coach. Ivkovic won Korac Cup titles with Partizan Belgrade in 1979 and PAOK Thessaloniki in 1994 and a Cup Winners' Cup with AEK Athens in 2000. Blatt lifted the EuroChallenge trophy with Dynamo St. Petersburg in 2005. Ataman led Mens Sana Siena to the Saporta Cup in 2002 and also won the EuroChallenge with Besiktas in 2012.

By leading Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv to the BKT EuroCup crown, Coach Itoudis reached a new milestone in his career

Real Madrid's Declan Duru: 'Three-peat is more than a title. It’s a legacy'

U18 Real Madrid will be entering the Adidas NextGen EuroLeague Finals with a chance at history. *Los Blancos* can become the first team in nearly 20 years of the competition to complete a three-peat. Declan Duru knows the team cannot expect any advantage because of its successful past but it would be an unforgettable moment for the star forward and the team.

Duru helped Real win last year’s NextGen title, bringing the club’s total to a record five trophies. The German admits that he will never forget last season’s NextGen Championship Game - a thrilling 85-84 overtime win over U18 PFBB INSEP Paris in Berlin.

“That game will stay with me forever. It was intense, emotional and physically exhausting - everything a final should be,” said Duru, who contributed 3 points, 5 rebounds and 3 blocks in the win, including a spectacular put-back dunk and one with 34 seconds left in overtime.

“We knew how strong INSEP was, and taking it to overtime just showed how closely matched we were. The energy in Berlin was absolutely unreal, and winning in such a thrilling way made it an experience I'll never forget.”

"I knew I had to step up. It’s been a big responsibility, but also a great opportunity for me to grow."

Duru is one of six players from this year’s squad who were in the championship game, but the team lost much of its firepower and leadership with the generational graduation of the likes of Hugo Gonzalez, Egor Demin, Ismaila Diagne and Mitar Bosnjakovic.

“It was definitely a big shift. Those guys were more than just talented players, they were leaders - both on and off the court. Their absence created a space that needed to be filled and I knew I had to step up. It’s been a big responsibility, but also a great opportunity for me to grow,” Duru said.

The forward averaged 4.2 points and 3.0 rebounds at the NextGen EuroLeague Munich, but it was not enough to book an automatic ticket to the NextGen Finals. Real lost to U18 Next Gen Team Munich in the final group game to snap its streak of consecutive qualifying tournament first place finishes at 11. And it meant Real was reliant on a wild card to have a chance to defend their title in Abu Dhabi.

Declan Duru highlights - 2024 NextGen EuroLeague

Real will face a major test in Abu Dhabi, being put into Group B along with U18 Overtime Elite, U18 Zalgiris Kaunas and INSEP.

“It’s definitely a tough group where there’s no easy game. Overtime Elite brings a unique playing style, Zalgiris is always disciplined and efficient, and INSEP… well, we know exactly how dangerous they can be,” said Duru. “But this kind of competition pushes us to be at our best from the very first game, and that’s exactly what we want.”

The highlight of the group schedule is the showdown between Real and INSEP. A number of players on both teams were in last year’s championship game and the French side - itself a two-time U18 continental champion - will be out for revenge.

“That game is going to be intense. It might be a sense of unfinished business from their side, and we’re aware of that,” Duru said.

"It’s not about defending the past. It’s about earning it all over again."

Duru insists he and his teammates will not be thinking about previous games or previous tournament results.

“For us, it’s not about defending the past. It’s about earning it all over again. It’ll be emotional and physical, but I trust our preparation and mentality,” he said.

Should Real overcome the group and then prevail in the championship game on May 25, the team would increase its record to six NextGen crowns. And the club would match U18 CSKA Moscow as the only other team to three-peat. The Russians won the competition in 2004, 2005 and 2006.

“It would mean everything. To be part of a team that makes history is what you dream of as a kid. The three-peat is more than a title. It’s a legacy. We’re all motivated by that and we know what it would mean to the club, our coaches and everyone who’s helped us along the way. Although we all know too how difficult it is,” Duru said.

Real will already have played in the Spanish domestic junior championship before it heads to Abu Dhabi, meaning the NextGen EuroLeague games will be the final youth games for Duru.

<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The sequence of 𝕋ℍ𝔼 𝔻𝕌ℕ𝕂 of the tournament😤<br><br>Declan Duru from <a href="https://twitter.com/RMBaloncesto?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RMBaloncesto</a> U18s over Ivan Kharchenkov🔥<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AdidasNGT?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AdidasNGT</a> <a href="https://t.co/757uowvDrk">https://t.co/757uowvDrk</a> <a href="https://t.co/i7yGGRBbG2">pic.twitter.com/i7yGGRBbG2</a></p>&mdash; Turkish Airlines EuroLeague (@EuroLeague) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague/status/1751928257031630859?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 29, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

“It’s been an incredible journey. Moving to Spain at 13 wasn’t easy, but Real Madrid became home. I’ve grown so much not just as a player, but as a person. The coaches, teammates, and the entire organization helped shape who I am today. Whatever comes next, this chapter will always be special,” said Duru, who debuted with Real’s senior team in early November 2024 and then made his EuroLeague debut on November 12 against Vitrus Segafredo Bologna. 

This last junior season has been special for Duru because he has had fellow German Fabian Kayser alongside him.

“Having Fabian on the team has been great. We understand each other on a different level not just culturally, but in how we approach competition,” Duru said of the 2009-born talent who came to Real in the off-season. “I’ve seen how hard he works and how much he has developed this season. He has a bright future ahead, he is competitive, talented and grounded. I’m proud of him and excited to see where his path takes him.”

Duru hopes he can experience a first NextGen EuroLeague title with his compatriot and make history at the same time.

NextGen EuroLeague champ Duru knows Real Madrid faces a massive test for another title

Fantasy Challenge guru Javier Gancedo shares his recommendations for this week

Javier Gancedo's fantasy tips for the Play-In Showdown

The 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season is in the books and the EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge continues with the Play-In Showdown, three do-or-die games that will complete the playoff picture. There is only one turn and limited choices in the game, so fantasy managers should not have second thoughts: it is all about getting the right players, right now, so I am recommending one star per team and another player with added value.

 

### TJ Shorts, Paris Basketball (20.2 credits)

This is a no-brainer. Paris needs one win this week to reach the playoffs and [TJ Shorts](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/tj-shorts/012608/) should lead the way, like he has done since joining the club in the summer of 2023. His only game against Real this season? Shorts had 24 points and 10 assists for a PIR of 25. Was it long ago? Nope, it was earlier this month. Shorts is a solid choice for team captain, as he rarely underperforms.

### Walter Tavares, Real Madrid (16.1 credits)

[Walter Tavares](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/walter-tavares/005791/) has been chosen as the [EuroLeague MVP for March and April](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/walter-tavares-named-turkish-airlines-euroleague-mvp-for-march-april/), which says plenty about his great form. Against Paris, Tavares has averaged 12-5 points and 11.5 rebounds over two games for a PIR of 26. Tavares has had a PIR of at least 14 or higher in each of his last seven games and consistency is what you look for in this situation with a limited number of players available.

Codi Miller-Mcintyre, Filip Petrusev, Walter Tavares, Carsen Edwards and TJ shorts are featured in this week's article.

EuroLeague Fantasy tips: play-in showdown

### Carsen Edwards, FC Bayern Munich (15.5 credits)

[Carsen Edwards](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/carsen-edwards/011987/) was close to the scoring title, averaging 20.5 points per game this season. He has been to the free throw line consistently, averaging 4.3 fouls drawn and 3.6 attempts per night. Edwards had one of his best games against Zvezda (30 points, 29 PIR) but also one of his worst (3 points, -2 PIR) this season. In this situation, I think Edwards will be very strong.

### Filip Petrusev, Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade (12.5 credits)

Even if [Joel Bolomboy](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/joel-bolomboy/009035/) returns, [Filip Petrusev](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/filip-petrusev/011194/) is a solid choice against Bayern, as he has played well with or without Zvezda's starting center. Petrusev has been able to achieve very good numbers (13.5 ppg., 4.9 rpg., 16.0 PIR) in less than 21 minutes per night. He is the perfect choice for a do-or-die showdown, a smart, versatile forward able to find advantages pretty much everywhere.

### Codi Miller-McIntyre, Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade (9.9 credits)

I have been following him lately and it is time to recommend him. [Codi Miller-McIntyre](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/codi-miller-mcintyre/009048/) has stepped up at the very end of the regular season, averaging 18.2 points on 21-of-33 two-point shooting and 15-of-35 on three-pointers plus 3.2 assists for a PIR of 16.6 over his last five appearances. In the past, Miller-McIntyre proved he can pass the ball really well. He is scoring a lot now, too. Freed from desire, Codi Miller-McIntyre!

Euroleague Basketball has named Real Madrid center Walter Tavares as the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague MVP for the months of March and April

Walter Tavares named EuroLeague MVP for March-April

Euroleague Basketball has named [Real Madrid](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/real-madrid/mad/) center [Walter Tavares](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/walter-tavares/005791/) as the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague MVP for the months of March and April. The towering center was instrumental in Real Madrid's strong 6-1 finish to the regular season, which helped *Los Blancos* advance to the postseason, securing seventh place and home-court advantage for the Play-In Showdown.

During the March and April stretch, in which EuroLeague teams played the final seven rounds of the regular season, Tavares consistently dominated on both ends of the court. He averaged an impressive 16.7 points per game, shooting a highly efficient 77.4% from two-point range (41-of-53) and 75.9% from the free-throw line (22-of-29). His presence was also felt on the boards, where he pulled down 7.1 rebounds per game, and defensively, where he contributed 0.9 blocks per contest. He posted a remarkable PIR of 21.3 over those seven games.

The MVP of the Month award is now in its 20th season. The winner is named by Euroleague Basketball based on his and his team's performance during the month in question. The award for March and April was based on the seven games that all teams played during that period.

This is Tavares's fourth monthly MV. He was similarly honored in October 2018, November 2021 and April 2023, after which he led *Los Blancos* to the EuroLeague crown. With four MVP of the Month trophies, Tavares has tied Sasha Vezenkov of Olympiacos Piraeus for the third-most in competition history. Nikola Mirotic of EA7 Emporio Milan is the leader with seven and Mike James of AS Monaco is second with five.

Tavares showcased incredible consistency throughout March and April. He scored between 13 and 23 points in each of the seven contests, never dipping below a PIR of 14 and reaching as high as 28. He also secured at least 5 rebounds in every game.

Real Madrid's impressive 6-1 record during March and April included victories on the road against Virtus Segafredo Bologna, Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade, and Paris Basketball, as well as home wins against LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne, EA7 Emporio Armani Milan, and ALBA Berlin. The team's only loss came on the road at Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens.

Tavares's stellar performances positioned Real Madrid to host Paris Basketball in the first game of the Play-In Showdown this Tuesday, April 15. His continued leadership and dominance will be crucial as the team embarks on its quest for a record 12th EuroLeague title.

It is the fourth such honor for the All-EuroLeague center

The postseason gets underway on Tuesday with two Play-In Showdown clashes, Real Madrid vs. Paris Basketball, and FC Bayern Munich vs. Crvena Zvezda Belgrade, which will see one team advance to the playoffs, another eliminated, and two more progress to a do-or-die clash later this week. 

Game Center: The Play-In Showdown

## Tuesday, April 15, 2025

### [FC Bayern Munich 97-93 Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/game-center/2024-25/fc-bayern-munich-crvena-zvezda-meridianbet-belgrade/E2024/308/#boxscore)

Bayern advanced in the Play-In Showdown and will face Real Madrid on Friday for a berth in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Playoffs after the German side ground out a dramatic overtime home win against Crvena Zvezda. Big man Devin Booker paced Bayern with 21 points and 5 boards; Carsen Edwards netted 17 points and Nick Weiler-Babb racked up 15 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists. At the other end, Filip Petrusev led Zvezda with a monster individual performance garnished by 30 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists. 

<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">WHAT A GAME!!!!! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BAYCZV?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BAYCZV</a> <a href="https://t.co/s6Jxn6Tlx9">pic.twitter.com/s6Jxn6Tlx9</a></p>&mdash; FC Bayern Basketball (@FCBBasketball) <a href="https://twitter.com/FCBBasketball/status/1912251760086835219?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 15, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

### [Real Madrid 73-81 Paris Basketball](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/game-center/2024-25/real-madrid-paris-basketball/E2024/307/#boxscore)

Paris upset Real Madrid to clinch seventh place and set up a playoff showdown with Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul. Paris never trailed after the first quarter and led by as many as 13. Although Real mounted a late charge, the EuroLeague debutants held on to continue their historic campaign. TJ Shorts paced the Parisians with 23 points and 9 assists and freshly crowned EuroLeague Rising Star Award winner Nadir Hifi added 15 points. Facundo Campazzo led Real with 17 points and 5 assists.

<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="ca" dir="ltr">EN MODE CAILLERA ‼️ <a href="https://t.co/8IVAo0dkqK">pic.twitter.com/8IVAo0dkqK</a></p>&mdash; Paris Basketball (@ParisBasketball) <a href="https://twitter.com/ParisBasketball/status/1912254939297952116?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 15, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

The last two spots in the playoffs will be decided after this week's three games

Game Center: Paris marches into playoffs; Bayern holds off Zvezda

The most efficient regular season in Turkish Airlines EuroLeague history has come to a close setting the stage for a pair of compelling Play-In Showdown matchups featuring the league’s two most improved teams from last year - FC Bayern Munich and Crvena Zvezda Belgrade, this season’s lone newcomer - Paris Basketball, and Real Madrid

Stats review: A look ahead at the Play-In Showdown

The most efficient regular season in Turkish Airlines EuroLeague history has come to a close setting the stage for a pair of compelling Play-In Showdown matchups featuring the league’s two most improved teams from last year, this season’s lone newcomer, and a [Real Madrid](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/real-madrid/mad/) team that made it to the championship game each of the last three seasons.  [Last year’s Play-In](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/game-center/?round=35&season=E2023) action saw the two higher seeds advance to the field with the seventh-place finisher, [Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/maccabi-playtika-tel-aviv/tel/?season=2024-25), pushing the eventual champions, [Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/panathinaikos-aktor-athens/pan/?season=2024-25), to the limit in their subsequent encounter in the quarterfinals.

Given their recent run of Final Four appearances, Real Madrid is certainly capable of making a similar splash from the lower half of the playoff seedings. *Los Blancos* will start their quest for a quarterfinals berth against Paris Basketball, who they will face at Movistar Arena for the second time in 12 days.  Earning [a narrow 105-104 win](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/real-gets-go-ahead-win-against-paris-105-104/) in Round 33 thanks to an outstanding fourth quarter, Madrid notched a key win — its fifth straight — over their Play-In opponent just over a week ago.

The difference late in that game were the shots Madrid was getting out of pick-and-rolls and with Paris creating a EuroLeague record 56% of its offense in the half-court operating out of ball screens, pick-and-roll play figures to be the key to this impending matchup as well. Despite its success down the stretch offensively, Madrid struggled to neutralize Paris’s ball screen attack on the road in their first meeting in Round 16 even in the absence of [TJ Shorts](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/tj-shorts/012608/), but beyond the heroics of [Maodo Lo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/maodo-lo/007032/) that night, the hosts otherwise struggled to make shots. Generating 64 points of out ball screens in that game and 66 in their game early in April, Paris has easily exceeded its league-best 42 points created per game in both of those losses to Madrid. How that holds up this week will certainly be something to follow as the club looks to push into the quarterfinals in its maiden EuroLeague voyage.

For Madrid’s part, it averaged 51 points created per game out of pick-and-rolls in its two games against Paris — well above the 34.6 per game average for the rest of the season.  While [Facundo Campazzo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/facundo-campazzo/005928/) does a lot of heavy lifting there, [Dzanan Musa](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/dzanan-musa/006540/) had one of his most productive efforts of the season sliding on the ball in Madrid’s win earlier this month.  How these two teams approach guarding pick-and-rolls and what adjustments they make figure to factor heavily into the outcome on Tuesday. Madrid finished in the top five in pick-and-roll defense on the year while Paris finished right at the EuroLeague average.

In the other game on Tuesday, the league’s two most improved teams face off in a test of their season splits. [FC Bayern Munich](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/fc-bayern-munich/mun/) has been exceptional at home this season going 13-4 to mark its first season at SAP Garden. [Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/crvena-zvezda-meridianbet-belgrade/red/), in contrast, was this season’s lone team to finish with the same record on the road that it posted at home. After suffering one of its worst defeats of the season [in Belgrade in Round 12](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/crvena-zvezda-demolishes-bayern-101-77/), Bayern scored a comfortable [victory in Munich in Round 28](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/bayern-blows-away-crvena-zvezda-100-82-to-stay-in-postseason-picture/). 

That has been the story of the season as Bayern has elevated its game on both ends of the floor at home. Scoring a pristine 1.08 points per possession that eclipses Panathinaikos’s league-best 1.07 average for the season at SAP Garden, but allowing a massive 1.10 points per possession defensively that falls well below this season’s least effective defense away from home, Bayen has operated on the extremes for most of the year. Much of that disparity can be traced to the accuracy of its role players from beyond the arc, something that will be worth monitoring against a Zvezda defense that has done an excellent job defending the perimeter this season. 

[Filip Petrusev](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/filip-petrusev/011194/) was the standout in the November victory in Belgrade Arena, but picked up 2 quick fouls and played only a few minutes in Zvezda’s March loss. [Carsen Edwards](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/carsen-edwards/011987/) had a similarly uneven pair of games from Bayern’s side scoring only 3 points over 8 shots in their loss but 30 points over 17 in their win. Who steps up figures to be something to monitor in this game as well. 

If seeds hold, Bayern would get a chance to score its second road victory over the season over Paris while Zvezda would look to complete the season sweep, having won both of their previous matchups. Should Paris score the upset, Bayern could get a chance to notch its second win in Madrid of the year after claiming a victory there in Round 1 while Zvezda would be seeking its first triumph of the season over the historic Spanish club. 

After seeds held in the Play-In Showdown last year and created one of the more dramatic quarterfinals matchups in recent memory, it will interesting to see how things shake out this time.   

Sportradar breaks down the exciting showdowns on tap this week

### FC Bayern Munich

 

**Streaks**

Carsen Edwards has made at least 1 three-pointer in 13 straight games.

Edwards has scored 12 or more points in 12 straight games.

Edwards has scored at least 18 points in seven of his last eight games.

Edwards has had a PIR in double figures in 11 of his last 12 games.

Devin Booker has made at least 1 three-pointer in eight straight games.

Nick Weiler-Babb has at least 1 steal in 11 of his last 12 games.

Andreas Obst has made at least 1 three-point shot in 13 straight and 26 of his last 27 games.

Obst has made multiple triples in 12 of his last 13 games.

Niels Giffey has made at least 1 three-pointer in seven straight games.

Shabazz Napier has made at least 1 three-pointer in seven of his last eight games.

 

**Season rankings**

Carsen Edwards ranks second in scoring with 20.5 points per game.

Edwards and Andreas Obst are tied for second in three-pointers made, each with 2.9 per game.

Niels Giffey ranks first in three-point shooting at 58.0%.

Nick Weiler-Babb leads the league in steals with 1.6 per game.

Shabazz Napier ranks 10th in steals with 1.1 per game.

Weiler-Babb ranks eighth in assists with 4.9 per game.

Napier ranks fifth in free-throw shooting at 93.9%.

Devin Booker ranks fifth in two-pointers made with 4.5 per game.

Edwards ranks ninth in two-pointers made with 4.3 per game.

Danko Brankovic ranks eighth in two-point shooting with 68.4%.

Bayern ranks third in scoring with 87.2 points per game.

Bayern ranks first in free-throw shooting at 83.5%.

Bayern ranks second in three-point shooting at 39.0%.

Bayern's defense has allowed a league-high 59.5% on two-point shooting.

 

**Records/Milestones**

Carsen Edwards ranks 11th all-time in free-throw accuracy at 90.1%.

Johannes Voigtmann is ranked 12th all-time with 1,425 rebounds. Georgios Printezis is 11th all-time with 1,452.

Voigtmann is in 10th place all-time in defensive rebounds with 1,060. Printezis is ninth with 1,065 defensive rebounds.

Voigtmann needs 8 blocks to reach 100 for his career.

Devin Booker needs 1 steal to reach 100 for his career.

Booker needs 18 rebounds to reach 800 for his career.

Game Videos

### Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade

 

**Streaks**

Joel Bolomboy has posted a PIR in double digits in seven of his last eight games.

Bolomboy has pulled down at least 5 rebounds in eight straight games.

Nemanja Nedovic has made at least 1 three-pointer in 11 of his last 12 games.

Nikola Kalinic has had a PIR in double figures in six straight games.

Kalinic has pulled down 5 or more rebounds in five of his last six games.

Codi Miller-McIntyre has scored 11 or more points in five straight and seven of his last eight games.

Miller-McIntyre has made at least 1 three-point shot in five straight and eight of his last nine games.

Miller-McIntyre has had a PIR of 13 or more in five straight games.

Filip Petrusev has posted a PIR of 10 or more in five straight and seven of his last eight games.

Petrusev has scored in double figures in four of his last five games.

Mike Daum has made all 23 of his free-throw attempts in his EuroLeague career.

Isaiah Canaan has made at least 1 three-point shot in nine of his last 10 games.

Yago dos Santos has made at least 1 three-point shot in four of his last five games.

 

**Season rankings**

Joel Bolomboy leads the league in rebounding with 8.3 per game.

Bolomboy leads the league in offensive rebounding with 3.4 per game.

Bolomboy ranks second in defensive rebounding with 4.9 per game.

Zvezda ranks third in assists with 19.9 per game.

Zvezda has allowed the third-fewest points with 81.1 per game.

Zvezda holds opponents to 33.6% three-point shooting, which is the second-lowest in the league.

 

**Records/Milestones**

Milos Teodosic is in fifth place all-time with 595 three-pointers made. Scottie Wilbekin is fourth with 608 and counting.

Teodosic is ranked fifth all-time in assists with 1,491. Vassilis Spanoulis is fourth with 1,607.

Teodosic ranks 13th all-time in career points scored with 3,420. Toko Shengelia of Virtus Segafredo Bologna is 12th with 3,507 and counting.

Teodosic ranks 13th all-time in free throws made with 709. Sergio Llull of Real Madrid is 12th with 730 and counting.

Joel Bolomboy needs 3 more blocks to reach 100 for his career.

Luka Mitrovic needs 3 steals to reach 100 for his career.

Game News

Game Facts: Bayern vs. Zvezda

### Real Madrid

**Streaks**

Mario Hezonja has made at least 1 three-pointer in 12 straight and 42 of his last 43 games.

Walter Tavares has had a PIR of 14 or more in seven straight games.

Tavares has scored 13 or more points in seven straight games.

Tavares has pulled down multiple offensive rebounds in seven straight games.

Dzanan Musa has scored at least 10 points in seven of his last eight games.

Musa has posted a PIR in double figures in seven of his last eight games.

Facundo Campazzo has made at least 1 three-pointer in five of his last six games.

Campazzo has had at least 1 steal in five straight games.

Sergio Llull has made at least 1 three-pointer in four of his last five games.

 

**Season rankings**

Facundo Campazzo ranks eighth in average index rating with 18.0 per game.

Campazzo ranks third in assists with 6.4 per game.

Walter Tavares ranks second in blocks with 1.3 per game.

Tavares ranks second in rebounding with 7.1 per game.

Tavares ranks second in offensive rebounding with 2.8 per game.

Mario Hezonja ranks fourth in defensive rebounding with 4.7 per game.

Tavares ranks eighth in defensive rebounding with 4.4 per game.

Tavares ranks second in two-point shooting at 75.3%.

Usman Garuba ranks fourth in two-point shooting at 71.1%.

Real leads the league in rebounding with 37.0 per game.

Real leads the league in defensive rebounding with 26.4 per game.

Real leads the league in two-point accuracy at 59.8%.

Real has held opponents to a league-low 51.7% two-point shooting.

**Records/Milestones**

Walter Tavares blocked 88 shots in the 2022-23 season to set the all-time single-season record.

Tavares is the competition's all-time leader in blocks with 469.

Tavares is in fourth place all-time in two-point accuracy at 68.7%.

Tavares has moved into second all-time with 1,857 rebounds. Paulius Jankunas is the all-time leader with 2,010 rebounds.

Tavares ranks third all-time with 703 offensive rebounds. Felipe Reyes is second with 705.

Tavares is eighth on the all-time list with 4,249 PIR points. Nick Calathes is seventh with 4,295 and counting, and Kyle Hines is sixth with 4,299.

Sergio Llull is the all-time leader with 441 EuroLeague appearances.

Llull is the all-time leader in three-point shots made with 680.

Llull ranks fourth all-time in scoring with 4,178 points. Vassilis Spanoulis is third with 4,455.

Llull is in seventh place all-time with 1,467 assists. Mike James of AS Monaco is sixth with 1,479 and counting, and Milos Teodosic of Crvena Zvezda is fifth with 1,491 and counting.

Facundo Campazzo is in 12th place all-time with 1,102 assists. Shane Larkin of Anadolu Efes Istanbul is 11th with 1,109 and counting.

Llull ranks 12th all-time with 730 free throws made. Paulius Jankunas is 11th with 748.

Llull ranks fifth all-time with a 2.7-to-1 career assist-to-turnover ratio.

Facundo Campazzo ranks 13th all-time with a 2.6-to-1 career assist-to-turnover ratio.

### Paris Basketball

 

**Streaks**

TJ Shorts has scored in double figures in all but one of his 33 EuroLeague appearances – including the last 26.

Shorts has posted a PIR of at least 10 in 26 straight games.

Shorts had at least 7 assists in five straight games.

Tyson Ward has made at least 1 three-pointer in 13 of his last 14 games.

Ward has posted a PIR of at least 12 in five straight games.

Ward has scored in double figures in four of his last five games.

Ward has pulled down more than 5 rebounds in four of his last five games.

Mikael Jantunen has made at least 1 three-pointer in 11 of his last 12 games.

Jantunen has made multiple three-pointers in six straight games.

Jantunen has scored 13 or more points in five of his last six games.

Jantunen has posted a PIR in double figures in six straight games.

Yakuba Ouattara is perfect in 11 trips to the foul line this season.

Kevarrius Hayes has pulled down multiple offensive rebounds in four of his last five games.

Sebastian Herrera has made at least 1 three-pointer in six straight games.

Nadir Hifi has scored 13 or more points in six of his last seven games.

Hifi has made multiple triples in five of his last six games.

Collin Malcolm has made at least 1 three-pointer in four of his last five games.

 

**Season rankings**

TJ Shorts ranks second in average index rating with 23.1 per game.

Shorts ranks fourth in scoring with 18.7 points per game.

Shorts leads the league in assists with 7.5 per game.

Shorts leads the league in two-pointers made with 6.1 per game.

Nadir Hifi ranks eighth in three-pointers made with 2.5 per game.

Paris has committed 10.4 turnovers per game, the fewest in the league.

Paris ranks third in offensive rebounding with 11.8 per game.

Paris allows a league-high 12.1 offensive rebounds.

 

**Records/Milestones**

Maodo Lo needs 1 rebound to reach 400 for his career.

Yakuba Ouattara needs 4 three-point shots to reach 100 for his career.

Kevarrius Hayes needs 11 steals to reach 100 for his career.

Game Facts: Madrid vs. Paris

\- When two teams met in Round 28, Bayern beat Crvena Zvezda 100-82 behind a 25-0 run bridging the second and third quarters. Carsen Edwards led the way in victory with 30 points, making 6 three-point shots.

\- In that Round 28 game in Munich, Zvezda's Joel Bolomboy pulled down a club-record and a career-best 19 rebounds, including a career-high 12 offensive rebounds.

\- Zvezda set club records in assists (34) and team PIR (138) in Round 12 when it defeated Bayern 101-77.

\- The home team has won the last eight games since Bayern's 76-78 win over Zvezda in Belgrade in March 2021. Nick Weiler-Babb and Vladimir Lucic are the only remaining Bayern players from that game on the team's roster.

\- During the 2015-16 season, Zvezda and Bayern played each other in the EuroLeague for the first time. In their very first EuroLeague clash, Zvezda got its lone road victory over Bayern, a 79-90 win as Stefan Jovic dished a club-record 19 assists.

\- Zvezda guard Branko Lazic played together with Bayern forward Vladimir Lucic on the Serbian national team that won the silver medal at EuroBasket 2017.

\- Zvezda's Nemanja Nedovic and Bayern's Vladimir Lucic were teammates at Valencia Basket during the 2014-15 season. They have also been teammates on the Serbian national team.

\- Lucic has also been a teammate of Zvezda's Luka Mitrovic, Nikola Kalinic and Dejan Davidovac on the Serbian national team.

\- Bayern guard Shabazz Napier spent the first part of last season with Zvezda.

\- Bayern forward Johannes Voigtmann and Zvezda center Joel Bolomboy were teammates at CSKA Moscow for three seasons, from 2019 to 2022.

\- Bayern forward Oscar da Silva and Zvezda's Nikola Kalinic were teammates at FC Barcelona from 2021 to 2023.

\- Zvezda's Rokas Giedraitis and Bayern's Niels Giffey were teammates at ALBA Berlin during the 2018-19 season.

\- Zvezda's Rokas Giedraitis collected a career-high 4 steals while playing for ALBA Berlin against FC Bayern Munich on December 18, 2019.

\- Zvezda point guard Yago dos Santos pulled down a career-best 8 rebounds in a 74-66 road loss in Munich against Bayern last March.

\- Zvezda big man Luka Mitrovic grabbed a career-high 3 steals against Bayern in December 2021.

\- Zvezda swingman Ognjen Dobric grabbed a career-high 6 rebounds against Bayern in March 2021.

\- Bayern sharpshooter Andreas Obst grabbed a career-high 8 rebounds against Crvena Zvezda in March of last season.