Name: Sylvain Francisco: 'I just can't wait for next season'
Channel: Euroleague Basketball

Mario Hezonja and Dzanan Musa combined for 46 points in Real's 19th win.


Real gets go-ahead win against Paris, 105-104! 

Real Madrid qualified for the postseason by topping Paris Basketball 105-104 at Movistar Arena in Round 33 on Thursday. Real improved to 19-14 in the standings, locking up a top-10 finish at the end of the regular season. Paris dropped to 18-15 and could also qualify to the postseason at the end of this round if other results go its way.

Mario Hezonja led the winners with 26 points. Dzanan Musa added 20, Andres Feliz and Walter Tavares each scored 15 while Serge Ibaka posted 11 for Real. TJ Shorts paced Paris with 24 points and 10 assists. Nadir Hifi added 23 points, Tyson Ward had 18 and Mikael Jantunen 13.

Game Videos

Shorts got Paris going with a floater. Tavares matched it with a layup and Gabriel Deck's corner triple gave Real its first lead, 5-2. After Sebastian Herrera answered from downtown, Usman Garuba and Bandja Sy traded layups. Deck insisted from beyond the arc for a 10-7 Real lead. Ward joined the three-point shootout and Hifi bettered Deck's layup with a triple for a 12-13 Paris edge. Hezonja stepped up with 5 quick points. Collin Malcolm struck from downtown before Musa'a driving layup set a 19-16 Real edge. Hifi scored in penetration and Sy added a three-pointer in a 0-7 run that Leopold Cavaliere capped with a layup. Hezonja ignited the crowd with a reverse slam and Ibaka added a put-back basket, but Jantunen singlehandedly kept Paris ahead, 23-28, after 10 minutes.

 

Shorts buried a jumper and erased Feliz's off-balance basket by hitting another mid-range shot. Hezonja tried to change things with a triple, but Ward banked in a close shot and matched Musa's layup with a jump hook. Ibaka scored in the paint before Musa's three-pointer got Real within 35-36. Ward stayed hot for Paris, though Hezonja and an outstanding Ibaka helped Los Blancos to a 42-40 lead. After Hifi and Feliz traded three-pointers, Tavares added a put-back layup. Hezonja's backdoor basket boosted Real's lead to 49-43. Shorts struck from beyond the arc and Malcolm followed with a driving layup. Shorts improved on Tavares's jump hook with a triple that tied it again, 51-51. Musa scored off the baseline but Jantunen's buzzer-beating jumper fixed the halftime score at 53-53.

Game News

Shorts scored in penetration soon after the break and improved on Garuba's dunk with 3 free throws. Jantunen struck from downtown to give Paris a 55-61 lead. Tavares stepped up with a jump hook that Yakuba Ouattara improved on with a bomb from beyond the arc. Hezonja and Hifi each buried a triple and so did Musa to make it 63-67. Malcolm joined the three-point shootout, getting help from Cavaliere to boost Paris's margin to double digits, 65-75. Feliz rescued Real with a driving layup that Musa bettered with a three-pointer. Shorts took over with an acrobatic layup that Hezonja bettered with a triple in transition. Shorts answered from beyond the arc for a 74-80 Paris lead after three quarters.  

 

Hezonja sank a three-pointer early in the fourth quarter. Feliz added a driving layup before Ibaka completed Real's comeback, 81-80. Musa took over with a three-point play that capped a 10-0 run. Ward dunked and Hifi erased Facu Campazzo's layup with an off-balance jumper. Hifi soon tied the game at 86-86 with a driving layup. Campazzo rescued Los Blancos with a bomb from beyond the arc, which Feliz followed with a fastbreak layup to make Paris stop the game at 89-84. Tavares dunked and made 3 free throws to cap a 10-0 run, giving Real a 96-86 lead with less than 3 minutes left. Shorts stepped up with a driving layup and Jantunen added a three-pointer before Hifi gave Paris hope at 98-93. Ward struck from downtown, but Hezonja's three-point play sealed the outcome with time to spare, as Paris only got within striking distance right at the buzzer.

Mario Hezonja and Dzanan Musa combined for 46 points in pivotal victory


Real gets go-ahead win against Paris, 105-104

Real Madrid v Paris Basketball (2025-04-03T19:00:00.000Z)

Zalgiris Kaunas guard Sylvain Francisco spoke to EuroLeague TV after his team beat Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade in Round 33 of the 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.  

Sylvain Francisco: 'I just can't wait for next season'

Zalgiris Kaunas v Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade (2025-04-03T17:00:00.000Z)

Just a few days after reportedly agreeing to extend his contract with Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens through 2028, Kendrick Nunn decided to celebrate this huge news for the Greens fans with an unreal outing away at AS Monaco on Thursday evening.

Panathinaikos enjoyed another one-Nunn-show in win over Monaco

Just a few days after reportedly agreeing to extend his contract with [Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/panathinaikos-bc-athens/roster/pan/?season=2024-25) through 2028, [Kendrick Nunn](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/kendrick-nunn/012774/) decided to celebrate this huge news for the Greens fans with an unreal outing away at [AS Monaco](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/as-monaco/roster/mco/?season=2024-25) on Thursday evening.

Panathinaikos took to the Salle Gaston Medecin with their backs against the wall after a [98-101 home loss](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/paris-stuns-panathinaikos-in-thriller-98-101/) to [Paris Basketball](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/paris-basketball/roster/prs/?season=2024-25) last week. Ergin Ataman’s side needed a victory in their bid to clinch home-court advantage and Nunn delivered on the floor from the off.

He scored 9 of his team’s 32 points in the first quarter and finished the first half on 18 points. Panathinaikos were leading by as many as 17 (32-49) with 4 minutes left in the second quarter, but Monaco responded with a 16-0 surge that saw the hosts cut the deficit to 48-49 midway through the third.

Kendrick Nunn with 37 Points vs. AS Monaco, 04/03/2025

Kendrick Nunn scored 37 points at AS Monaco

Enter a red-hot Nunn, who scored 9 points and set up [Omer Yurtseven](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/omer-yurtseven/005353/) for a slam, restoring a 48-60 lead for the reigning champion. The Panathinaikos guard went on to finish the game with 37 points and a career-high PIR of 43.

“Amazing teamwork, but also amazing performance by Kendrick Nunn,” Ataman told EuroLeague TV. “He played a final game for us to get the home-court advantage, \[scored\] 37 points and these field goals. Kendrick Nunn’s performance today is one of the best performances I’ve seen so far in the EuroLeague.”

Nunn went 9-for-12 from inside the arc and 5-for-5 from deep, also making 4 of 4 from the free-throw line. To his impressive stat-line he added 5 assists, 3 rebounds and 1 steal to grab the spotlight for yet another night.

“An MVP performance by Kendrick Nunn,” his teammate, [Jerian Grant](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/jerian-grant/011204/), told EuroLeague TV. “He’s our MVP. In a game like this, on the road, when you need to win to get third or second place, MVPs step up and that’s what he did.”

A tireless Nunn missed only 45 seconds of action, staying on the floor for a season-high 39:15. Asked about his decision not to rest his star, Ataman joked about Nunn’s game time.

“He was lucky because he rested for 45 seconds,” he added. “If you talk with [Shane Larkin](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/shane-larkin/007200/), he understood \[when I coached him at [Anadolu Efes Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/anadolu-efes-istanbul/roster/ist/?season=2024-25)\] that many games he’d play for 40-45 minutes. It’s basketball. Your player is playing well, letting him play. He didn’t feel tired. He was on an amazing day. Why should I make rotation and lose time?”

Nunn demonstrated (again) why he’s rightfully in the conversation for the EuroLeague MVP award. When it mattered most, the 29-year-old guard almost single-handedly led Panathinaikos to a huge victory for yet another time.

The Greens' superstar the game with 37 points and a career-high PIR of 43

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

Zalgiris Kaunas-Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade | RS Round 33 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

Zalgiris Kaunas ground out a rugged 70-66 home win over Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade in the penultimate round of the Turkish Airlines regular season and vanquished the Serbian team’s hopes of sneaking into the postseason picture.

Partizan out of postseason after 70-66 loss at Zalgiris 

Zalgiris Kaunas ground out a rugged 70-66 home win over Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade in the penultimate round of the Turkish Airlines regular season and vanquished the Serbian team’s hopes of sneaking into the postseason picture.

With Zalgiris already eliminated and having only pride to play for, Partizan needed a win to keep alive an outside chance of making the top 10 but the visitors went ice cold from the floor when the chips were down, while the home team prevailed thanks to ironclad defense.

Sylvain Francisco paced Zalgiris on a team high 15 points and Partizan’s former big man Alen Smailagic chipped in with 14, with the duo instrumental at both ends in a strength-sapping finish when baskets were extremely difficult to come by.

At the other end, Carlik Jones led Partizan on a game high 23 points, including 16 in a blistering first half when the South Sudan playmaker toyed with his markers, lighting up the contest with a series of spectacular layups and mid-range jumpers.

Brandon Davies added 10 points and 6 boards for Partizan but the rest of the visiting team’s roster struggled heavily on offense, as the Serbian outfit dropped to 16-17 after a fifth loss in its last six games. Zalgiris improved to 15-18 after clawing out the win in front of a fervent crowd in its last home game of the season.

Zalgiris took full advantage of big man Tyrique Jones’s absence from Partizan’s ranks to dominate inside early on, racing into a 6-0 lead before Jones took over and started pulling the strings for the visitors.

Having shot 5 of 5 from inside, the hosts engineered a 24-21 advantage at the end of the first quarter but Partizan ramped up its defense in the second. The Serbian team turned the tide with a 0-10 run and took a commanding 31-39 lead before Zalgiris closed the gap to 35-40 at the interval, setting the stage for a titanic second-half tussle.

A slow start in the third quarter cost Partizan again as Zalgiris netted 8 points without reply and kept the visitors scoreless for more than 5 minutes, with Aleksej Pokusevski ending the drought with a pair of free throws followed by a three-pointer.

The rivals were all square, 49-49, heading into the final 10 minutes and the contest which resembled a wrestling match was clearly headed for a dramatic climax, as Partizan nosed ahead 59-62 with the home straight around the corner.

Zalgiris then forced the final twist with a 7-0 run which gave the home team a 66-62 lead on the back of a Francisco three-pointer and the guard sank a tough floater soon after to make it 68-64.  

Isaac Bonga kept Partizan afloat with a pair of free throws but Smailagic delivered the killer blow at the other end to delight the home fans in the Zalgirio Arena and force his former club into submission.

Defeat by the Lithuanian giant left the 1992 EuroLeague champs with no chance of squeezing into the Play-In Showdown 

Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens guard Kendrick Nunn spoke to EuroLeague TV after his team beat AS Monaco in Round 33 of the 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.  

Kendrick Nunn: 'We came here with one job: to win'

AS Monaco-Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens | RS Round 33 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

 Ibaka's double block! Motorola Magic Moment

Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens has secured home-court advantage in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Playoffs by defeating AS Monaco 76-88 at Salle Gaston Medecin  behind 37 points from Kendrick Nunn

Panathinaikos downs Monaco, 76-88, secures top-four spot

Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens has secured home-court advantage in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Playoffs by defeating AS Monaco 76-88 at Salle Gaston Medecin on Thursday evening. The Greens led for the majority of the game, with Kendrick Nunn pulling off an extraordinary display that inspired his team’s victory.

Panathinaikos also claimed head-to-head advantage over Monaco and improved its record to 21-12. The hosts saw their three-game winning streak come to a close and dropped to 20-13.

Nunn led all scorers with 37 points and a career-high PIR of 43, with Jerian Grant adding 14 points. Daniel Theis paced Monaco with 18 points, Alpha Diallo scored 16, Elie Okobo had 13 and Jaron Blossomgame netted 12.

An exchange of blows in the opening stages saw Monaco take a 7-4 lead, with Theis netting 5 points. Okobo and Nunn opened their accounts from inside before buckets from Blossomgame and Diallo made it 13-9. But Panathinaikos responded with a 0-7 run fueled by Cedi Osman, who scored 5 points in transition. Back-to-back baskets from Konstantinos Mitoglou were followed by a Grant triple that opened a 18-27 lead. Blossomgame responded from deep, but Nunn netted 5 straight points for a 21-32 cushion after 10 minutes.

Nunn hit the ground running in the second quarter, taking his tally to 13 points and extending Panathinaikos’s lead to 25-40. Okobo and Nunn traded triples before 4 points by Theis slightly cut the difference to 36-49. Mike James scored his first points of the game from beyond the arc and Okobo netted a buzzer-beating jumper that brought Monaco within 41-49 thanks to an 11-2 surge to finish the first half.

Okobo opened the third quarter with a three before buckets by Blossomgame and Diallo slashed the deficit to 48-49. Panathinaikos was held scoreless for 9 minutes across the second and third quarters before 9 points and an assist by Nunn restored a 48-60 lead. Blossomgame answered with a triple, but Omer Yurtseven’s second straight dunk allowed the visitors to maintain a 51-62 cushion. Then, an on-fire Nunn completed a three-point play to make it 53-65 heading into the closing quarter.

Buckets by Yurtseven sandwiched a Matthew Strazel triple before a Diallo layup in transition brought Monaco within 64-71. A three-point play from Kostas Sloukas was followed by a triple from Okobo, who made it 69-74. Grant and Nunn replied with back-to-back midrange jumpers, 69-78. Then, Nunn nailed another three and Grant made 2 of 3 from the charity stripe to finish the game off.

The Greens also claimed head-to-head advantage over Vassilis Spanoulis’s side

Jones with a spectacular move! Motorola Magic Moment

Pokusevski with a sublime alley oop! Motorola Magic Moment

Gabriel attacks the rim! Motorola Magic Moment

Title hereGabriel attacks the rim! Motorola Magic Moment

[Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/hapoel-shlomo-tel-aviv/hta/) became the first Israeli team to reach the BKT EuroCup Finals in more than 20 years. Here is how it happened.

Before Game 3 against [Valencia Basket](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/valencia-basket/pam/) at La Fonteta, all eyes were on playmaker [Yam Madar](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/yam-madar/011052/) and center [Johnathan Motley](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/johnathan-motley/011157/), Hapoel's main threats on offense. Motley dominated in Game 2, leading Hapoel to a 96-91 win with 26 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists and a PIR of 32. Madar was simply unstoppable in the series, averaging 21.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, 6.5 assists and a PIR of 26.0 in the first two games.

Valencia was well aware of that. Madar showed up in Game 3 slowed by a knee problem and Motley got into early foul trouble, playing 19 minutes. Madar and Motley were limited to 8 points apiece but Hapoel managed to find ways to compete throughout the game, lighting it up from beyond the three-point line in the fourth quarter to qualify for the finals. By doing so, Hapoel became just the second Israeli team to reach the EuroCup Finals, as Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem lifted the trophy in 2004 after downing Real Madrid 73-82 in the championship game in Charleroi, Belgium.

Hapoel showed its full potential on a night in which its two superstars could not find their rhythm. [Marcus Foster](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/marcus-foster/010386/) had a season-high 23 points against Buducnost VOLI Podgorica in Round 6, but he has been outstanding throughout the playoffs, getting 21 points in the quarterfinals against Turk Telekom Ankara, 20 in Game 1 against Valencia and 22 in the do-or-die Game 3, hitting the go-ahead jumper with 2.7 seconds remaining.

[Antonio Blakeney](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/antonio-blakeney/013402/) allowed Hapoel to get that chance to win Game 3 down the stretch. He buried 5 of his 6 three-pointers in the fourth quarter, helping Hapoel tie an all-time record. Hapoel hit 9 three-pointers in the fourth period, tying the record for that period. Only Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse managed to do that in 2023. Blakeney finished the game with career highs of 32 points and 9 rebounds. Until then, Blakeney had averaged 10.8 points and 1.9 rebounds.

With Motley sitting on the bench due to foul trouble, coach Dimitris Itoudis found answers from [Bruno Caboclo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/bruno-caboclo/012096/) and [Tomer Ginat](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/tomer-ginat/010550/). Caboclo hit a crucial triple in the fourth quarter. Ginat had 11 points, 7 rebounds, 2 steals and a PIR of 17. Caboclo was able to open the floor and use his fouls wisely on defense, and Ginat gave Hapoel a lot of versatility at power forward, finding a lot of advantages in transition against Nate Sestina and Semi Ojeleye.

Hapoel ended up hitting 26-of-36 two-pointers (72.2% 2FG) and buried 9-of-15 three-pointers in the fourth quarter. Once the long-distance shots starting to fall Hapoel took control of the game, and even when Valencia never gave up, Foster buried the final dagger to send Hapoel to the finals.

"I came back for this. I am the happiest person in the world," Madar claimed after the game. "I came to this game on one leg. I hoped I would be OK. I didn’t know how I would feel. I had a \[painkiller\] shot to be able to play… 

"I think Foster made big baskets. As a team we knew who to go to, whether it was Foster or Blakeney. We trusted each other, even when it was less good. And it has brought us to the EuroCup Finals."

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="iw" dir="rtl">תודה לקהל הטוב בעולם ♥️ <a href="https://t.co/8pcyU2SPk7">pic.twitter.com/8pcyU2SPk7</a></p>&mdash; Hapoel Tel Aviv BC (@HapoelTLVBC) <a href="https://twitter.com/HapoelTLVBC/status/1907833222097965213?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 3, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

"We came in with a good mentality and good spirit. I think we came prepared for the game. Even they started I think 9-0 up, we were still calm and came back to the game," Caboclo said. "Marcus \[Foster\] made a great play and AB \[Anthony Blakeney\]. Motley had foul trouble, so some guys had to step up, and I'm glad that everybody stepped up and help the team to come with this victory."

Itoudis now has the chance to be the fourth coach to win the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague and EuroCup titles, along with Dusan Ivkovic, David Blatt and Ergin Ataman.

"We were working through the quarters, half-times, changing details. We were changing details, they were changing details. And that made us even smarter as a group and as individuals," Itoudis said in the press conference room."I think we were composed on the fourth quarter. And also when they took the double digits, we were composed, stayed in our plan, believed and made some top baskets. In the first half, we shot more than 80% \[in two-point shooting\] and at the end of such an important game, we had over 70% for twos. Everybody who contributed deserves the applause."

Hapoel is now set to battle against Dreamland Gran Canaria for the EuroCup crown. Game 1 is scheduled in Samokov, Bulgaria on Tuesday, April 8.

Coach Itoudis's men are the first Israeli side to reach this point since Hapoel Jerusalem in 2004

Hapoel found new go-to guys and made history

Valencia Basket v Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv (2025-04-02T18:30:00.000Z)

After winning its semifinal series against Bahcesehir College, CB Gran Canaria is hoping to win the EuroCup for the second time in three years by beating Hapoel Tel Aviv in the EuroCup Finals.

Gran Canaria aims to replicate recent EuroCup glory

[Dreamland Gran Canaria](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/dreamland-gran-canaria/can/) still has fresh memories of winning the BKT EuroCup in 2023 and the Spanish club will be confident of repeating the feat this term when it locks horns with [Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/hapoel-shlomo-tel-aviv/hta/) in the best-of-three finals series later this month.

Both teams staged stunning tie-breaking upsets on the road to reach the finals, as [Hapoel shocked Valencia Basket 92-94](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/hapoel-upsets-valencia-to-reach-the-finals-92-94/) while [Gran Canaria edged out Bahcesehir 72-76](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/gran-canaria-beats-bahcesehir-72-76-to-reach-the-finals/) in a rugged and physical contest which went down to the wire.

Player of the game [Caleb Homesley](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/caleb-homesley/011251/) was instrumental in Granca’s unlikely win, as the team based on a remote Spanish island close to the shores of North Africa came from behind in the series to deny Bahcesehir a first shot at glory.

Having lost the opener 74-66, Granca evened the series after Homesley came up with a clutch three-point play at the buzzer to give the Spanish side a 69-68 win in Game 2 and level the series.

The 28-year-old guard then poured 19 points in the tie-breaker, including a vital three-pointer and a pair of free throws which sealed Gran Canaria’s victory and a berth in the finals.

Coach Jaka Lakovic, who guided Granca to its first EuroCup title two years ago, was delighted with the outcome and also heaped praise on Bahcesehir after the Turkish team came agonizingly close to prevailing on home court.

“We knew what we needed to do to win this game and the players deserve all the credit,” the Slovenian tactician told the postgame press conference.

“They put in a great effort and showed a great mentality. In the end we made the free throws and grabbed some important rebounds, we were more determined and hence we deserved to win. But I still want to congratulate Bahcesehir for a great EuroCup season, they were the best team in the toughest group during the regular season.”  

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="es" dir="ltr">Muchos kilómetros.<br>Muchas semanas de éxodo.<br>Representando a una isla. A un club.<br><br>Estamos en otra final europea ✊ <a href="https://t.co/JjG6AdahUT">pic.twitter.com/JjG6AdahUT</a></p>&mdash; Dreamland Gran Canaria (@GranCanariaCB) <a href="https://twitter.com/GranCanariaCB/status/1907514028345209316?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 2, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Bahcesehir romped through the regular season and won Group A with a 14-4 record ahead of second-placed Hapoel and Gran Canaria in third, with both sides finishing on 12-6 in a fiercely competitive section.

Hapoel will therefore have home court advantage in the finals but Gran Canaria will not be intimidated as the Israeli team has been forced to play its home games this season in the Bulgarian town of Samokov, some 55 kilometers from the capital Sofia.

Coach Jakovic and his men will be more concerned with a pair of crushing defeats they suffered at the hands of Hapoel during the regular season, 79-66 on the road and 64-87 in Gran Canaria, as Hapoel’s deep roster including several former EuroLeague players proved too strong.

Namely [Johnathan Motley](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/johnathan-motley/011157/), [Yam Madar](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/yam-madar/011052/) and [Bruno Caboclo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/bruno-caboclo/012096/), whose experience in Europe’s premier club competition could play a telling role again when the two sides clash with the EuroCup title at stake.

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The stage is set🏆<br><br>EuroCup supremacy at stake💫<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RoadToGreatness?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RoadToGreatness</a> <a href="https://t.co/gOTmStwuhj">pic.twitter.com/gOTmStwuhj</a></p>&mdash; BKT EuroCup (@EuroCup) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroCup/status/1907797167076515905?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 3, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Granca, on the other hand, will be buoyed by grinding out a series of close wins in the playoffs, including an 89-92 victory at Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem in the quarterfinals, when Homesley sank 21 points to put the other Israeli team in the competition to the sword.

Ultimately, Gran Canaria showed the makings of a championship winning team in the gritty Game 3 win against Bahcesehir, handing the Turkish side its first loss on home court in the EuroCup this season which ended an impressive run of 11 straight wins.

It was a heartbreaking finale for the Turkish side and its Montenegrin head coach Dejan Radonjic, who rued missed shots from the foul line when the chips were down but hailed his team’s fighting spirit.     

“We missed a chance to force overtime and it’s very tough to analyze the game right now,” Radonjic told reporters. “Missing five free throws in the last 10 minutes is just too much in a game like this. It’s been an amazing EuroCup season for us and I am very proud of what we have accomplished in this competition.”

Jakovic will be even prouder if Gran Canaria can complete its fairytale postseason run and cap it with a second EuroCup title in two years, a feat which would indeed take the former Slovenian point guard and his men to dreamland.

The islanders have a genuine chance of winning a second EuroCup title after defying the odds to reach the finals

Bahcesehir College Istanbul v Dreamland Gran Canaria (2025-04-02T17:00:00.000Z)

Top 10 Plays | March | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

After spectacular performances in the first two games of the series and gutting out some key plays despite a knee injury in Game 3, Yam Madar of Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv earned the honor of being the MVP of the BKT EuroCup Semifinals. 

Semifinals MVP: Yam Madar, Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv

After spectacular performances in the first two games of the series and gutting out some key plays despite a knee injury in Game 3, [Yam Madar](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/yam-madar/011052/) of [Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/hapoel-shlomo-tel-aviv/hta/) earned the honor of being the MVP of the BKT EuroCup Semifinals. 

Madar finished with the highest PIR of any player in either semifinal series after averaging 16.3 points, 5.3 assists and 1.7 steals for a PIR of 20.7. He was the semifinals' leader in steals, ranked second in assists and tied for third in scoring.

The 24-year-old returned to Hapoel, which he first starred for as a teenager, during the season with the explicit goal of winning the EuroCup to claim a berth in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague. And in the win-or-go-home semifinal series, he carried Hapoel at times. 

In Game 1, Madar tallied 20 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists in a narrow loss before posting 21 points, 9 assists and 4 steals to lead Hapoel to a Game 2 victory.

Madar sustained a knee injury in that game and his participation in Game 3 was in doubt until the afternoon of the Game 3. He was quiet in the first half, but then contributed 8 points and 2 assists in the second to help Hapoel wrest away the game and series.

"I came back for this. I am the happiest person in the world," Madar told Israel Hayom, the EuroCup rightsholder in Israel after the game. 

"I came to this game on one leg. I hoped I would be okay. I didn’t know how I would feel. I received a \[painkiller\] shot to be able to play… There were huge baskets. I think it was great that we knew as a team where to go. We didn’t panic. 

"We got huge baskets from \[Antonio\] Blakeney and \[Marcus\] Foster and almost every time they responded within 7 seconds. We stayed focused and knew what we needed to do on offense. We trusted each other and that brought us the series and to the EuroCup Finals."

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Joel Parra had a career night as FC Barcelona beat Fenerbahçe Beko on the road in Round 33.

Joel Parra powered Barcelona’s crucial comeback in Istanbul

[FC Barcelona](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/fc-barcelona/bar/) headed into Wednesday’s penultimate regular-season meeting with [Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/fenerbahce-beko-istanbul/ulk/) locked in a five-way tie for sixth place, and it ensured it will stay in that position heading into the final week by grabbing [a vital 75-83 road victory](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/barcelona-downs-fenerbahce-for-key-road-win-75-83/).

For a long time, that didn’t look likely. Fenerbahce took control of the game in the second quarter and stretched the advantage to 15 points, 69-54, midway through the third.

Defeat would have left Barcelona with very slim hopes of securing a top-six finish, instead probably condemning the *Blaugrana* to the perils of the play-in, so there was no lack of motivation for Joan Penarroya’s men to summon a major comeback.

And that’s exactly what transpired thanks to a 9-21 fourth quarter, sparked by a 0-11 run which kept Fenerbahce scoreless for nearly 5 minutes and allowed the visiting team to take control for good.

The unexpected hero during that key phase of the game was [Joel Parra](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/joel-parra/007464/). The former Joventut Badalona forward’s playing time has significantly increased following injuries to Jan Vesely and Chimezie Metu, and he made the very most of his opportunity by netting 11 points in the final period, finishing with his first-ever EuroLeague double of 15 points and 12 rebounds, also taking a career-high 3 steals to compile a personal-best PIR of 26.

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="ca" dir="ltr">𝐉𝐨𝐞𝐥 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚 ha superat els seus millors registres a l’Eurolliga en rebots (12) i en valoració (26) ✅<br><br>Els anteriors registres van ser 7 rebots, aconseguits aquest any en el duel del passat 27 de març contra l&#39;Armani Milà, i 23 de valoració, aconseguits el passat 27 de… <a href="https://t.co/5IU1YGP7wm">pic.twitter.com/5IU1YGP7wm</a></p>&mdash; Barça Basket (@FCBbasket) <a href="https://twitter.com/FCBbasket/status/1907537522697318560?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 2, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Parra, who turns 25 on Friday, stayed modest after the game as he insisted that collective effort and a defense that allowed only 25 second half points, rather than his heroics, were the keys to the victory.

“I only play for the team, thinking of the win that the team needs,” he said. “I bring my energy on defense, take the rebounds, that’s it. It’s a great win, we needed this win, I’m so happy for the team, but the work is not finished.

“I think the key is to play like in the second half. In the first half we didn’t play with energy, we let Fenerbahce play easily. In the second half we brought a lot of energy on defense. We have a good team, offensively we have 90 points per game, but when we don’t have defense it’s more difficult. When we are focused on the game and thinking of the defense, the offense is easy.”

Barcelona knows that not all its direct rivals can win this week, with matchups between Real Madrid-Paris Basketball and Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade-Anadolu Efes Istanbul ensuring that two of them will lose.

That does, of course, also mean that two of them will win so, however those results fall, Barcelona will still hold a share of sixth place when the final round rolls around – on paper, a very winnable home game against lowly Virtus Segafredo Bologna.

And that’s not all: with AS Monaco and Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens, currently third and fourth, facing each other on Thursday night, there’s still a chance that Barcelona could finish fourth and take home-court advantage for the playoffs, because it holds the head-to-head advantage over both those teams – although that also requires FC Bayern Munich, which has head to head over Barcelona, to lose twice.

So there are plenty of permutations and it’s impossible to state with any confidence exactly where Barcelona will finish the regular season. What can be said, however, is that the Spanish team’s chances of avoiding the play-in and advancing directly into the playoffs have been significantly boosted by Wednesday’s win.

And with more of the will to win shown especially by Parra in the fourth quarter at Fenerbahce, there’s no limit to how the season might end.

The forward scored 11 fourth-quarter points as his team turned around a 15-point deficit

Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul v FC Barcelona (2025-04-02T17:45:00.000Z)