The Games of week 6:

Baskonia vs Virtus Bologna

Sometimes, even before the ball goes up, a basketball game reminds you that it’s more than just a sport. At Buesa Arena, before Baskonia and Virtus Bologna tipped off, players from both sides came together at half court, holding a banner that read “Forza Achi.” It was a tribute to Achille Polonara, a player who’s worn both jerseys and is now fighting cancer once again. The crowd rose, applauded, and for a brief moment, rivalry faded into something bigger. Then the ball went up and Baskonia came out like a team on a mission.

From the opening possession, the Basques played with energy, clarity, and purpose. They blitzed Virtus 11–2 out of the gate, attacking mismatches, pushing the tempo, and moving the ball with intent. On the defensive end, Rafa Villar, getting the start and the Carsen Edwards assignment, was a spark plug, forcing Dusko Ivanovic to burn a timeout just 3½ minutes in. Virtus clawed back through their bench, Niang and Diouf brought some much-needed toughness, and Morgan chipped in six of the team’s first 10 points, but Baskonia’s shot-making and glass dominance (11–3 in total rebounds, including four on the offensive glass) kept them firmly in control, 23–14 after one. Six of 11 from two, three of five from deep, and nearly every possession humming, this was the Baskonia that had been missing earlier in the year.

Virtus started the second quarter with a punch, a quick 5–0 run, but Baskonia absorbed it and threw a heavier counterpunch, 7–2 of their own. The ball zipped from side to side, everyone touching it, everyone contributing. Edwards finally found some rhythm, dropping seven straight points, and Diouf flashed impressive short-roll passing, dishing out three assists. Still, Virtus couldn’t get stops. Baskonia went into halftime up 12, 46–34, with only one unassisted field goal in the entire half, a masterclass in collective offense.

Dusko adjusted at the break, rolling with Niang at the 5, and Virtus again came out strong with a 7–2 burst. But Marco Galbiati trusted his bench to settle things, and once again, the group responded, fast decisions, crisp cuts, the kind of offense that bends defenses without ever forcing the issue. Virtus made another push, trimming the lead to four with just over three minutes left in the third, but Baskonia answered with a 7–0 run to close the quarter, heading into the final frame up 65–57.

From there, the Buesa crowd took over. Nowell hit a pull-up three to push the lead to 16, and even when Virtus strung together a couple of threes to get it back to 10, the energy in the arena never wavered. TLC, because of course it was him, buried a dagger three with three minutes left, sealing the deal before the final buzzer made it official: Baskonia 87, Virtus 76.

Virtus’ road woes continue, their defense springing leaks everywhere (an ugly 129.9 defensive rating on the night). Niang was their lone constant, finishing with 18 and 12, but the rest of the team never quite matched Baskonia’s rhythm.

For the Basques, it’s now three straight wins, not just wins, but team wins. TLC led with 16, but this was a “we’re all in this together” kind of performance, the type of complete effort that can quietly turn a season around. The best teams find their flow, and for Baskonia, it finally feels like the music’s back on.

 

Barcelona vs Rel Madrid

There’s something almost cinematic about Real Madrid and Barcelona tipping off in a packed Palau Blaugrana. The tension is thick before the ball even goes up. And then, bang, Facundo Campazzo opens the night with a one-footed, bank-shot three like it’s a horse trick shot contest. That was the tone-setter. Madrid didn’t blink, didn’t wait. They roared out 9–2 in the first four minutes, pounding the ball inside to Walter Tavares and Trey Lyles, running that clean inside-out rhythm that immediately brought back memories of the Yabusele days.

Barcelona tried to answer in kind,Toko Shengelia working on the block, trying to get his looks, but Lyles’ size and mobility were too much. Jan Vesely gave them a pulse, hitting those silky midrange jumpers (3-of-4 early), but Lyles was everywhere: seven points in his first El Clásico, playing like he’d been doing this for years. A timeout didn’t cool Madrid off. Campazzo came out and splashed back-to-back threes, and suddenly the rhythm belonged entirely to the visiting side.

Barça wasn’t playing poorly, 60% shooting in the first quarter would normally mean good things, but Madrid was in flamethrower mode, hitting 71% from deep. The difference was in creation: Barcelona depended on their guards to manufacture everything, while Madrid could create from every position. Every catch was a threat. Every cut had intent. When the horn sounded to end the first quarter, Okeke banked in a half-court three, increasing the Madrid lead to 34–24. The benches told the story early, Madrid’s reserves had already poured in 10 points; Barça’s had just three.

That gap in depth? It only got louder as the game went on. When Barça’s best five were on the floor, Vesely, Clyburn, Punter, Toko and Satoransky, they could go toe-to-toe with Madrid. That lineup had everything: stretch, shot creation, playmaking, toughness. But as soon as the rotations hit, the cracks showed.

Still, Vesely kept them alive. He went 5-for-6 from the field, and a flurry of threes from the home team cut the Madrid lead to single digits midway through the second quarter. Real got sloppy, five turnovers in that period alone and the crowd started to hum again. But Madrid closed the half with veteran poise, switching into a 3-2 zone that forced two rushed possessions and a scoreless Barça stretch. Halftime: 58–48 Madrid. Lyles had 16, Vesely 13, and one worrying stat lingered for Los Blancos: they were the lowest second-half scoring team in the EuroLeague at just 36.8 points per game.

For a few moments, it looked like that curse might creep in again. The third quarter began messy, turnovers on each team’s opening possession, but Madrid steadied through Theo Maledon, whose pace and decisiveness gave them a fresh offensive burst. Lyles? Still cooking. He and Maledon built the lead back to 16 as Madrid hit an absurd 11-of-16 from deep. The rebound numbers were starting to feel cruel: Madrid 27, Barça 15, including eight offensive boards. Their bench scoring? 35–12 by the end of the third.

By the fourth, it was mostly academic. Barcelona could only trade threes to stay afloat, shooting them well (over 50%), but relying entirely on perimeter offense while losing the rebounding battle 36–21 is basketball’s version of trying to win a fistfight with one hand tied. Punter led a valiant mini-run, a 10–4 burst that cut the margin to 10, but Madrid’s composure and depth held.

Barcelona did keep turnovers under control, which is something, but the lack of interior aggression killed them. They passed around the arc, waiting for something to appear that never did. Madrid’s length on the wings just smothered them. On the other end, Madrid got whatever they wanted at the rim.

There were still things for Scariolo to grimace about, 17 turnovers are 17 too many, but when you shoot 58% from three and dominate the glass, it’s easier to sleep at night. Alex Len, in his debut, looked understandably lost in the system, four minutes of visible confusion both offensively and defensively, but that’s to be expected. Scariolo’s schemes are a Rubik’s Cube even for veterans.

The headline of the night, though, belonged to Trey Lyles. Twenty-nine points. Efficient, poised, patient. The kind of “Vezenkov-type” game that unfolds naturally: no forcing, no demanding the ball, just letting it come to him and making it look easy. Madrid may have already found their new Yabusele, and if Len eventually becomes their Poirier, this team’s depth might border on unfair.

And just when the night felt like it could settle, the real off-court bomb dropped: Joan Peñarroya was fired. The whispers around Palau already had a name: Xavi Pascual, possibly next in line.

Classic El Clásico. High-level basketball, a touch of chaos and a reminder that in Spain, drama doesn’t end at the buzzer.

 

Paris vs Bayern

In Paris, the lights were bright, the tempo was frantic, and the chess match started the second the ball went up. Two teams, equal in the standings, opposite in temperament, walked into the French capital for a game that promised pace versus precision, chaos versus control.

From the jump, Paris tried to dictate the terms of engagement. Full-court pressure, aggressive traps, bodies flying around, it was their signature brand of high-speed basketball. But Bayern refused to be sped up. Gordon Herbert’s squad operated like a team wearing noise-canceling headphones: unbothered, unhurried. They controlled rhythm beautifully, picking their spots to run and carving up Paris’ aggression in the half court with smart spacing and ball movement. When the quarter ended 22–19 Bayern, it already felt like a small victory for their game plan.

The second quarter was the Spencer Dinwiddie Show. For a few shining minutes, he looked like a man who finally found the EuroLeague groove. Dinwiddie was slicing through the defense like a surgeon, touching the paint, creating for others, and then casually stepping back for a three that pushed Bayern’s lead into double digits and forced a Paris timeout. Paris, meanwhile, couldn’t buy a bucket early in the quarter. Three long minutes without a single point, and their defense wasn’t doing much better. Bayern, a team not exactly known for their offensive fireworks, dropped 53 in the first half on dazzling efficiency: 9-of-17 inside, 9-of-16 from deep. Paris hit just 3-of-12 from beyond the arc, a stat that practically wrote the halftime score by itself, 53–42 Bayern.

But whatever Francesco Tabellini said at halftime, it worked. Paris came out swinging, ripping off an 11–4 run in three minutes. They played faster, tougher, smarter. Bayern looked rattled for the first time all night. Herbert’s timeout didn’t help, Paris tied the game and were a single possession from taking the lead before Gabriel decided to make a statement. A monster block that sent the ball flying and the momentum with it. Bayern turned that play into a 5–0 run, forcing Tabellini to huddle his team again.

Paris, to their credit, didn’t wilt. They regrouped and hit Bayern right back, ending the third quarter on a wave of energy and confidence. They led 68–64 after holding Bayern to just 11 points in the frame and forcing seven turnovers. From 53 in the first half to 11 in one quarter, that’s a defensive revival.

But Bayern didn’t make the trip to Paris to leave empty-handed. Two minutes into the fourth, they were back in front with a 5–0 spurt and had the locals on their heels. Paris suddenly couldn’t get anything going again, seven minutes into the quarter and they’d scored just four points, all from the free throw line. Their first field goal came with only two minutes left. Still, they kept the fight alive. Andres Herrera buried a three to cut it to two, but Dinwiddie immediately silenced the crowd with a three of his own. Then, as if trying to one-up each other, Herrera answered again. With under a minute to play, the ball found its way into T.J. Robinson’s hands, game on the line, with the arena buzzing. His three rimmed out, and Vladimir Lucic sprinted the other way to punctuate the night with a dunk. Bayern escaped, 86–82.

The numbers told the story as much as the game did. Bayern shot 44.4% from deep; Paris only 26.7%. The Germans hit twice as many threes and that’s a margin that’s hard to overcome, no matter how electric the pace.

Dinwiddie was the engine, the difference-maker, the grown-up in the room. Xavier Rathan-Mayes came alive in the fourth with 16 points, backed by three other double-digit scorers, but it was Spencer’s fingerprints all over the win. Paris got the fireworks from their usual suspects: Robinson with 22, Hifi with 21, but it wasn’t enough to stop the skid.

If this was a glimpse of what Dinwiddie can become in EuroLeague, a steady hand in the chaos, dictating the terms, it might’ve been the most important win of Bayern’s season so far. Paris played their way. Bayern won theirs.

 

Key Performances of the Past Week:

Mike James

Mike James, did you really think we’d forgotten? Nights like this are why he’s still the most feared scorer in the EuroLeague jungle. Against Maccabi, he put on another masterclass, the kind of performance that reminds everyone why his name sits at the top of the all-time scoring list. Thirty-four points, each one dripping with the swagger and shotmaking that has defined his career. There were those pull-up midrange daggers that seem to defy balance and physics, the off-the-dribble threes that make defenders shake their heads, and the tough finishes at the rim where touch meets toughness.

But this wasn’t just a solo act. James orchestrated the entire Monaco offense with the kind of control that only comes from years of walking the tightrope between chaos and genius. He didn’t just score, he dismantled Maccabi’s defense piece by piece, drawing help, reading rotations, and then delivering pinpoint passes that turned possessions into poetry. Seven assists, six rebounds, and more than a few moments where it felt like he was playing the game in slow motion while everyone else was stuck in fast-forward.

Every time Maccabi thought they’d forced him into a bad shot, the ball found the bottom of the net anyway. Every time they sent help, James made the right read. This was vintage Mike James, but also something more: a reminder that he’s not just chasing numbers or living off reputation. He’s still evolving, still dictating games, still the heartbeat of Monaco basketball. Nights like this don’t just pad his legend, they reaffirm it. Mike James isn’t done, not even close.

 

Standings Watch:

Paris Basketball’s free fall continues, and it’s starting to feel like more than just a rough patch. Not long ago they were flirting with the top of the EuroLeague table, their pace and energy giving teams nightmares. Now they’ve dropped three straight and find themselves staring up at the play-in line, searching for answers on both ends.

Defensively, they’re still hanging their hat on that end, a top-five unit by most measures, but the cracks are beginning to show. The real problem, though, lives on the other side of the floor. Paris’ offense has gone flat, ranking among the EuroLeague’s bottom five. When Hifi and Robinson get cooking, things look fine, but too often it’s just those two trying to drag possessions into something productive while everyone else watches.

Inside scoring? Almost nonexistent. The numbers tell the story: Paris takes fewer shots at the rim than anyone in the league, only 8.8 percent of their attempts coming within arm’s reach of the basket. And when they do get there, they’re not exactly cashing in, sitting in the bottom four in points per shot at the rim. That’s not a stylistic quirk anymore, it’s a red flag.

This offense has become too one-dimensional, too reliant on guards creating magic against set defenses. Without an inside threat to balance things out, even great defense can’t bail them out night after night. If Paris doesn’t fix that imbalance soon, their slide down the standings might not stop at the play-in line, it might keep going.

 

Week 7 Games to Watch:

Olympiacos vs Zalgiris

The Peace and Friendship Stadium in Piraeus is ready for a battle that feels like it carries more weight than just one game in the standings. Olympiacos, back in rhythm after two straight wins, welcomes one of the EuroLeague’s early leaders, Zalgiris, in a matchup that could shape the playoff race months down the line.

Zalgiris arrives in Greece brimming with confidence and armed with the EuroLeague’s October MVP, the heartbeat of a team that’s been playing fearless, connected basketball. But history hasn’t exactly been their friend in this rivalry. The Lithuanian club has dropped five straight to Olympiacos, and this arena has been particularly cruel to them.

Olympiacos, on the other hand, looks like a team rediscovering its identity. They’re defending with intensity, moving the ball with that trademark flow, and getting back to the kind of disciplined, physical play that made them perennial contenders. With their home crowd behind them, they’ll look to turn this into another statement night.

It’s confidence versus history, form versus familiarity. Zalgiris wants to prove the past doesn’t define them; Olympiacos wants to remind everyone that in Piraeus, they still set the tone.

 

Real Madrid vs Panathinaikos

This game is European basketball royalty in action. Real, with the most EuroLeague titles in history and Panathinaikos, sitting third on that list, meet again for another classic clash.

Los Blancos haven’t lost at home this season. There’s a rhythm to Madrid at the WiZink Center, precise, disciplined, and tough to break. Panathinaikos, meanwhile, arrive aiming to be the first team to crack that home invincibility. They aren’t in peak form and have injury issues, but Ataman’s squads never show up just to participate; they play to win.

Add to that the standings context, both teams tied and you have stakes that are immediate and intense. Every possession matters, every matchup is magnified and only one team will leave with the win. This is a game you cannot miss.

 

What’s at Stake:

What’s at stake is survival for Partizan, Efes and Dubai. These are three teams that entered the season with big expectations and now all three find themselves in the bottom six, already two wins shy of a Play-In spot. It’s not a death sentence, yet, but every win counts, a lifeline to break the cycle and climb out of this early-season trap.

 

EuroLeague Headlines:

Biggest news from the EuroLeague this week? Sylvain Francisco is the October MVP, and honestly, it’s hard to argue. The French guard has been an absolute force for Zalgiris, putting up 14.9 points and 6.8 assists per game while shooting 54.1% from two and 40.4% from three. Those numbers already tell a story, but the advanced stats make it even clearer.

His usage rate is high at 31.3%, yet he’s producing 1.053 points per possession and he’s not just a perimeter guy. 10.3% of his shots are at the rim, where he’s finishing at an insane 1.67 points per shot. Defensively, he’s just as impactful. With Francisco on the floor, Zalgiris is posting what would be the best defensive rating in the league, hands down. And yes, the eye test matches the stats, he makes the right play at the right time, every time.

The big question now: can he keep this up? If Francisco maintains this level, we might be looking at a very special season for Zalgiris.

 

This article was written by the European Hoops team: Tiago Cordeiro, João Caeiro and André Lemos. Make sure you give us a follow on Twitter at @EthosEuroleague!

The Games of week 5:

Valencia vs Fenerbahçe

Roig Arena was loud, bright and buzzing as Valencia hosted the defending champions, Fenerbahçe, in a matchup between two teams entering with identical 3-3 records. But from the jump, there was nothing identical about how they played.

Valencia came out flying, attacking every switch Fenerbahçe threw their way with crisp ghost screens that opened wide driving lanes. The pace was breathtaking, a blur of orange jerseys running, cutting, and sharing the ball, and within minutes the home side was up 14–6. Fenerbahçe’s defense looked a step slow and their offense was a one-man show, with Wade Baldwin IV trying to drag them forward while everything else sputtered. When Darius Thompson drilled a three, Valencia’s fourth already, to push the lead to 19–10, Sarunas Jasikevicius had seen enough and called time. But the timeout changed nothing. Valencia went on an 8–3 run right after, finishing the quarter up 27–13 behind superior shooting (5-of-10 from three versus Fener’s 1-of-5) and a pounding on the boards (13–6).

Quarter two brought more of the same. Valencia opened with a 6–0 burst in less than two minutes, and the Roig Arena crowd could sense something brewing. Credit to Isaac Nogues, who played limited minutes but brought elite on-ball defense and energy, the type of small detail that sparks a team. If he ever adds a consistent jumper, he could be one of those quietly indispensable EuroLeague role players. Meanwhile, Fenerbahçe unraveled. Poor body language, offensive fouls born out of frustration, technicals, it was a meltdown in slow motion. Valencia just kept punishing mismatches, hunting Bacot Jr. in space and stretching the lead to 21 with under four minutes in the half. Saras had to burn another timeout and this one helped at least steady the bleeding, closing the half on a 14–7 run. Still, 10 turnovers and 2-of-9 shooting from deep told the story: Fenerbahçe trailed 51–35 and it could’ve been worse.

Fenerbahçe came out of the break with renewed defensive fire, communicating better and playing with more purpose. But Valencia’s offense is relentless, constant motion, constant pressure. You might slow them for a possession or two, maybe a minute, but not for long stretches. Eventually, the pace cracked Fener again. Valencia took the third quarter 25–21 and stretched the margin to 20 (76–56), turning what should’ve been a grind into another statement of superiority.

To their credit, the champions still had one last swing left. Biberovic exploded to start the fourth with a personal 6–0 run, and suddenly there was a flicker of life. Valencia lost their rhythm, milking the clock too early and struggling to find clean looks, going more than four minutes without a field goal. Biberovic caught fire, dropping 16 points in the quarter alone, but it was too late. Even after winning the frame, Fenerbahçe never got close enough to make it uncomfortable. Valencia coasted home 94–79 in a game that they controlled from wire to wire.

The locals won this one with glass work and precision. Kameron Taylor led the way with 17 points and 6 rebounds, and three more players joined him in double figures. For Fenerbahçe, Biberovic’s late surge and solid outings from Talen Horton-Tucker and Baldwin weren’t enough.

The champions left the floor frustrated, while Valencia walked off looking every bit like a team that knows who it is: fast, fearless and just maybe a little bit special.

 

Virtus vs Zalgiris

Zalgiris came into this one like a team that knew exactly what was at stake, and how to seize it. You could feel the urgency from the opening tip, the kind that hums through an arena before the scoreboard even catches up. Seven minutes in, it was 17–2. The Kaunas crowd was roaring, Virtus looked stunned and it already felt like the game was being played at only one team’s tempo.

From the very beginning, Zalgiris had a plan and it was as clear as it was effective: contain Carsen Edwards. The assignment fell to Francisco and he put on a defensive clinic, shadowing Edwards everywhere, contesting every jumper, making him work for air. By the end of the quarter, Edwards hadn’t scored and Francisco looked like he could’ve run another full game. On the other end, Zalgiris went to work with their bigger wings, hunting Edwards in mismatches and pounding the interior. Tubelis feasted early, drawing contact and finishing plays, and once Virtus began to collapse inside, the perimeter opened wide. Syrvidis hit two straight threes as Zalgiris went 4-of-6 from deep in the first, running Virtus off the floor in transition and looking every bit like a team that had found its rhythm and joy. Things were going so fast that Dusko Ivanovic had to yank Smailagic after just two minutes, the message was clear: find someone who could actually run with these guys.

Virtus finally showed some fight in the second quarter. They started 15–8, trimming the gap to seven and, for the first time, looking like they might get their footing. Francisco, electric in the first, began forcing plays and those poor decisions spread like a bad cold. Rookie Brandon Taylor stepped into the spotlight, hitting back-to-back threes, a small miracle considering he’d never scored more than three points in a EuroLeague game, and suddenly Virtus was within striking distance. Carsen Edwards finally got on the board 17 minutes in, but that was as far as the comeback went. Zalgiris’ versatile wings reasserted control, smothering Virtus on defense and rebuilding a double-digit lead before halftime.

The subplot of the night, Smailagic’s return to Kaunas, added extra spice. The boos rained down, and he answered by helping Virtus on both ends of the court and being particularly effective stretching the floor.

By the third, Virtus’ defensive structure started to crumble. You could see the confusion, miscommunications, switches that came half a second too late, rotations that never finished. Mathew Morgan tried to play savior, finally giving Edwards some much-needed scoring support, trimming the deficit to six. But Francisco wasn’t having it. He took back control of the game with a blend of poise and fire, scoring when he needed to, creating when the moment called for it and orchestrating the offense like a maestro who knows every note by heart.

Virtus’ late scoring made the box score look kinder than it should have, but anyone watching knew the truth, Zalgiris dominated from tip to buzzer. Even without NWG, out with injury, they still had a guard who could set the tone, control pace, and close the game. Francisco was that guy, the heartbeat of the win and the clear player of the round.

Zalgiris didn’t just win, they imposed their will. Virtus was left chasing shadows, out-hustled, out-thought and out-executed. If you wanted to see how urgency looks when channeled into beautiful basketball, Kaunas gave you the blueprint.

 

Monaco vs Olympiacos

This one started like a Monaco highlight reel and an Olympiacos blooper tape spliced together. Three minutes in, the scoreboard read 8–1 and the early energy in the Salle Gaston Médecin was all red and white, Monaco’s red and white, that is. Olympiacos looked flat, coughing up turnovers and struggling to organize anything that resembled coherent offense, while Monaco came out pressing full court, Strazel harassing the ball like a mosquito you can’t swat away. Every screen was hedged hard, every post-up met with firm resistance. Even when Olympiacos tried to go to Vezenkov on the block, Monaco’s smaller guards: Strazel and Mike James, held their ground with those strong, low bases, forcing him deeper and deeper under the rim.

Eventually, though, Olympiacos did what veteran teams do, they steadied the ship. Bartzokas adjusted, taking out Walkup to inject some spacing and rolling out a bigger lineup to better match Monaco’s length. Slowly, they crept back in, closing the first quarter on a high. Up by one with 30 seconds left, Vezenkov capped the period with his first three of the night, fittingly, the first made three for either side, a smooth pull-up from the top of the key that gave the Greeks a 4-point edge after 10 minutes of chaotic basketball.

The second quarter was a series of mini runs, momentum bouncing between teams like a pinball. Olympiacos opened strong, building a 6–7 point cushion, their best stretch so far, but the tempo and composure that carried them there soon evaporated. A few rushed decisions, a few lazy passes, and suddenly Monaco was back in business. Donta Hall, interestingly, spent time as an offensive hub at the top of the key, a bit of a Fall tribute act, looking for cutters and trying to facilitate. The problem: he’s not Fall and that creative load doesn’t fit him. Even as a screener, the rhythm felt off, the actions too labored for Olympiacos’ usual precision. Neither team could buy a jumper, just four total made threes in the entire first half and the scoreboard reflected the grind: 38–37 Olympiacos at the break.

Then the tone flipped. Monaco came out of halftime attacking everything. They got aggressive going downhill, putting pressure on the refs and the defense alike, and Coach Spanoulis’ technical foul only added fuel to that fire, the kind that turns into free throws and fast breaks. Mike James, already cooking with 16 points, leaned into full Mike James mode: isolation daggers, step-backs off staggers, impossible heat-checks that suddenly looked routine. The sequence that defined the night came midway through the third: Olympiacos threw away a lazy pass, Mike grabbed it, raced upcourt, pulled a wild transition three that rimmed out… and Strazel came flying in for the offensive rebound. Every Olympiacos player froze, ball-watching, as Diallo slipped behind them for the put-back. The nearest person reacting in red wasn’t a defender, it was Bartzokas, sprinting down the sideline to call timeout. That was the heart of a 9–0 Monaco run and the turning point.

And just when you thought emotions couldn’t boil any higher, they did. Strazel and Dorsey got tangled up after the whistle, chests bumped, words exchanged and Dorsey shoved Strazel with the ball still in his hands. Unsportsmanlike foul, more Monaco points and more unraveling from Olympiacos. The discipline was gone: silly fouls, wild reaches, frustration boiling over. Monaco’s lead ballooned into double digits for the first time. To his credit, Dorsey used that same fire to claw them back, drilling two clutch shots to close the third and trimming the gap to four.

By then, though, the math wasn’t pretty. Monaco was 6-for-18 from deep; Olympiacos, just 3-for-18. At one point in the half, Monaco hit 6 of 9 from outside, the kind of swing that changes everything.

In the fourth, Olympiacos tried to slow it down, put Walkup back in to manage tempo, but it just made them predictable. Their turnovers (13) piled up against Monaco’s discipline (only 6 at the midway point of the quarter) and every mistake felt like a small dagger. The sequence that sealed it: Monaco’s 18th assist, a simple yet beautiful set, Mike James parked in the corner, Okobo and Mirotic screening for each other, Mirotic popping to Mike’s side, drawing both defenders… and leaving James all alone for a dagger three. Classic misdirection, executed with calm.

Dorsey, again, refused to quit, leading a 10–2 burst that gave Olympiacos one last pulse, but it wasn’t enough. Hayes’ activity down the stretch, sprinting the floor, switching everything, making Milutinov work, made the difference forcing Olympiacos to lose their defensive anchor and their composure.

When the dust settled, Monaco had the cleaner game, fewer mistakes, better ball movement, sharper reads. Olympiacos showed flashes, but their inconsistency still defines them. Without Dorsey’s personal heroics, this one might’ve turned ugly. Monaco, meanwhile, just looked like a team that knew who they were and who wasn’t going to beat them that night.

 

Key Performances of the Past Week:

Tornike Shengelia vs Partizan

Every once in a while, EuroLeague gives us a performance that feels less like a box score and more like a statement. Last week it came from youth, from a kid breaking through. This week? It came from experience, from a man who’s been carving up defenses for over a decade. Tornike Shengelia reminded everyone why he’s still one of the most complete forwards in Europe.

Against Partizan, the Georgian veteran was everywhere. He dropped 24 points, grabbed 5 rebounds, handed out 5 assists and swiped 4 steals, basically filling every column on the stat sheet with his fingerprints. But the number that really tells the story isn’t any of those. It’s +22. In 29:45 of action, Barcelona outscored Partizan by twenty-two points with Shengelia on the floor and lost the ten minutes he sat by twenty. That’s the kind of gravitational pull you can’t fake.

It wasn’t just the scoring, though he hit big shots and made defenders look like they were stuck in slow motion, it was the control. The reads. The physicality that comes with knowing how to use your body, not just having one. He directed traffic like a point forward, found cutters in tight spaces and bullied mismatches with that quiet, methodical relentlessness that has defined his career.

At 34, Shengelia might not jump as high or run as fast as he once did, but nights like this prove that wisdom and versatility still win games. He’s seen every coverage, solved every defensive riddle and against Partizan, he turned that experience into dominance.

There are stars who flash for a moment and then there are pros who just keep delivering. Shengelia, once again, showed he belongs firmly in that second category.

 

Standings Watch:

Crvena Zvezda is at the top of the standings.
Read that again. Crvena Zvezda, the same team that looked utterly lost through the first two rounds, the same team that couldn’t string together a defensive stop or a coherent offensive possession, now sits atop the EuroLeague mountain.

What changed? Everything, really. A coaching switch flipped the script and suddenly this team looks like it knows exactly who it is. The defense, once a mess of late rotations and soft coverages, has transformed into a wall, the second-best defensive rating in the entire competition. The offense? Not exactly high-octane, but it’s found a rhythm, a pace that suits the roster’s balance and allows their guards to dictate tempo instead of chase it. And just like that, six straight wins later, Zvezda has gone from punchline to powerhouse.

The latest addition of Jared Butler feels less like a panic move and more like a precise tweak. Another guard presence, another creator who actually fits the team’s new identity, one built on poise, control and playing both sides of the floor.

Now the only question left is how far this goes. Is this version of Crvena Zvezda here to stay, a legitimate contender ready to fight for Final Four dreams? Or, like Icarus, will they fly too close to the sun, feel the heat, and see their wings melt away? Either way, after that miserable start, this turnaround already feels like one of the stories of the EuroLeague season.

 

Week 6 Games to Watch:

Dubai vs Hapoel

Circle this one. Dubai vs Hapoel, the EuroLeague’s battle of the newcomers, two debutants who’ve decided that “rookie season” doesn’t have to mean “take your lumps.”

Hapoel has been one of the revelations of the early campaign, sitting at the top of the standings behind a flamethrower of an offense. Their spacing, their confidence, that relentless three-point barrage, it’s been the league’s version of a neon sign flashing we belong here. They’re one of just three teams at the summit and they’ve earned it with discipline and rhythm on both ends.

Dubai, meanwhile, started hot before an injury to Dzanan Musa threw a wrench into the rotation. Still, their frontcourt duo, Filip Petrusev and Mfiondu Kabengele, has been a nightmare for opponents. They’re physical, active and relentless on the glass, the kind of bigs who make you rethink whether you really want to drive into the paint.

This first-ever clash between these two sides isn’t just a matchup of expansion teams, it’s a statement game. Dubai wants to show their early success wasn’t a mirage in the desert; Hapoel wants to keep proving they’re not just hot, they’re for real. Two upstarts, one stage and forty minutes to say we’re here to stay.

Crvena Zvezda vs Panathinaikos

Crvena Zvezda have completely flipped the script after a brutal start to the season. What once looked like a team struggling to find its rhythm now sits comfortably at the top of the standings and doing it with confidence and swagger. The defense has tightened, the ball movement is sharper and the addition of Jared Butler has added exactly the kind of guard play and scoring punch they were missing. He’s made them not just better, but more fun, a word rarely associated with this kind of grind-it-out defensive juggernaut.

On the other side, Panathinaikos enter this one in a real bind. No centers. None. Coach Ataman will have to get creative, going small and leaning on Mitoglu, Juancho Hernangómez and Samodurov to hold the fort inside. It’s an experiment that might work in spurts, especially with their offensive versatility, but it’s also a dangerous one against a Zvezda team that punishes mismatches and dominates the physical battles.

This game is the perfect cocktail of intrigue: a surging Zvezda, a shorthanded Panathinaikos forced to improvise and two passionate fanbases that live and die with every possession. Expect noise, chaos and a little bit of basketball madness, exactly what EuroLeague nights are made of.

Barcelona vs Real Madrid

You can change the sport, the arena, or even the rules, but when these two meet, it’s always a classic. Whether it’s football, basketball, or even a pickup game of cards, every Barça–Madrid clash feels like it carries the weight of history. Pride, prestige and bragging rights, they’re all on the line.

This time, the stakes are different but no less fascinating. Both teams have been inconsistent, sitting in the 8th and 9th spots in the standings, still trying to find rhythm in a season that hasn’t yet gone as planned. Real Madrid, though, comes in riding a wave after a dominant 26-point win over Fenerbahçe.

Barcelona, meanwhile, arrives just as motivated, if not more. Their dramatic win over Partizan, capped by a Clyburn buzzer-beater after trailing by six in the final minute, was one of those moments that can shift a team’s belief overnight. Add that to a perfect double-header week and suddenly this Barça team feels like it’s regaining its bite.

So here we are again: the Spanish classic, another chapter in a rivalry that refuses to lose its fire. Two proud clubs, one court and at least forty minutes that will feel like a heavyweight title fight, because, well, in Spain, it always is.

Zalgiris vs Valencia

Zalgiris vs Valencia might not make the casual fan’s pulse jump off the page like a Madrid–Barça showdown, but for anyone who actually watches the EuroLeague, this is the kind of game you circle in red ink. Not the biggest names, sure, but both teams have been playing absolutely stellar basketball, and that’s exactly why this is must-see TV.

These two couldn’t be more different in personality. Valencia wants to run, pace, spacing, ball movement and finding early offense before the defense even realizes what hit it. Zalgiris, on the other hand, is deliberate and surgical, like a chess master who enjoys watching opponents squirm as they try to guess what’s coming next. Their guards orchestrate everything, breaking you down piece by piece in the half court until a high-percentage look materializes from the chaos.

And this one matters. Zalgiris walks in looking to defend their top spot, while Valencia, just one win away from the summit, wants to crash the party and remind everyone they belong among the elite. Style clash, standings implications and two teams that refuse to back down. It’s brains versus tempo, calculation versus chaos and it’s exactly the kind of EuroLeague basketball that hooks you for all forty minutes.

 

What’s at Stake:

Baskonia’s season finally has a pulse. After a brutal start that left them buried at the bottom of the table, the Basque club came out of the double week with not one, but two statement wins: against Dubai and Anadolu Efes, no less. Two opponents loaded with talent, two teams with playoff aspirations, and Baskonia just walked right through both of them.

The catalyst? Timothé Luwawu-Cabarrot, he was the main man offensively: 25 points against Dubai, 20 more against Efes, but this was far from a solo act. For the first time all season, this felt like a team performance and the defense, yes, that long-missing defense, finally made its presence felt. Holding Dubai to 85 and Efes to 75 points marked Baskonia’s two best defensive outings of the year, a sign that something might be starting to click.

Now the question that lingers: is it too late? In a season as wild and balanced as this one, a play-in push isn’t out of the question. If this version of Baskonia, the one that defends, runs, and shares the load, is here to stay, then maybe, just maybe, their EuroLeague story is far from over.

 

EuroLeague Headlines:

Alarm bells in Athens. Panathinaikos just got hit with another center injury, this time Omar Yurtseven with a grade-2 adductor strain, expected to be out around three weeks. That joins Lessort and Holmes on the sidelines, leaving the Greek giants paper-thin at the 5.

Lessort’s comeback is looming, but after such a long hiatus, easing him in will be the name of the game. That likely means Panathinaikos is going shopping for a center who can give them playable minutes. The real question: can they pull it off before Wednesday’s game? If not, it’s Mitoglou and Juancho at center. Mitoglou has some experience there, but Juancho? Absolutely not a 5. The floor will be tilted and opponents will know exactly where to attack.

This isn’t just bad luck, it’s a potential tactical nightmare for a team that’s trying to stay competitive in a tight EuroLeague season. How Panathinaikos navigates this could define the next few weeks of their campaign.

 

This article was written by the European Hoops team: Tiago Cordeiro, João Caeiro and André Lemos. Make sure you give us a follow on Twitter at @EthosEuroleague!

The Games of week 4:

EA7 Milano vs Valencia: Valencia Survives Milano Comeback in Thrilling 103-100 Win

EA7 Milano vs Valencia delivered exactly the kind of EuroLeague thriller you hope for, and then some. Valencia traveled to Milano hoping to snap a three-game losing streak against an Armani team with the same 2-3 record, though coming off a road win against Zalgiris. The first minutes of the game were pure Milano style, low scoring, tight defense, 5-3 after three minutes, with Valencia struggling to get out and run. Their early 1-4 PnPop with Matt Costello wasn’t clicking. Pedro Martinez went to his bench early, and suddenly Valencia’s reserves dialed the intensity meter all the way up: full-court pressure, forcing turnovers, and turning them into easy points. Milano still punished Valencia’s switches with Booker on the short roll, but by midway through the first quarter, 10 Valencia players had already touched the floor. Exploiting Empty Corner actions and moving the ball side to side, Valencia tested the limits of Milano’s defense, which resorted to switching ball screens and fronting the post, but Valencia’s guards found open shots enough to offset Milano’s five offensive rebounds, a rare sight against this team. The first quarter ended 24-18 for Valencia, with the bench contributing 10 points.

Valencia came out prepared for Milano’s switch adjustments in the second quarter, sending a guard to “ghost” after switches, a move that led directly to Montero’s wide-open three and a Sako layup in a 5-0 run. Messina called a timeout, but Valencia kept riding the momentum, punctuated by Isaac Nogués’ defensive gem: poking the ball away from Marko Guduric, diving on the floor for the loose ball, and feeding Jaime Pradilla for a score. The lead hit 15 points with seven minutes left, forcing another Milano timeout. Valencia’s offense slowed down briefly, allowing Bolmaro to make some plays, but a 14-4 Milano run to close the half still left Valencia ahead 54-48, with Bolmaro already tallying 17 points at the break.

The third quarter began like the second ended: Bolmaro creating havoc and scoring, but Valencia’s threes soon began raining down. Nathan Reuvers, Pradilla, and Darius Thompson joined the party, hitting seven straight from deep, and Valencia’s lead ballooned to 20 points, forcing another Messina timeout. Eventually, Milano found cracks in the Valencia defense with a small-ball lineup featuring Ricci at the five spot, sparking a 12-4 run in the final 2:36 of the quarter and cutting the deficit from 22 to 11. Milano had life again, and the stage was set for a classic fourth quarter.

The fourth started with Milano continuing small-ball against Valencia, opening with a 7-2 run. Brooks hit four threes, cutting the lead to just two with 3:24 remaining. Omari Moore extended it to four, but Bolmaro wasn’t done, free throws brought it back to a two-point game. The final 2:50 became a clinic in tension: after a series of missed shots, Shields was frozen by an In-and-Out dribble from last year’s EuroCup Rising Star, who drained a clutch three to put Valencia up three with 43 seconds left. Bolmaro tried to answer, but Pradilla’s heads-up play tapped the ball out after a missed shot. Milano had a chance, but Shields’ contested three didn’t fall, leaving Valencia to escape 103-100.

For Valencia, this was more than just a win; it was a victory of the collective. Five players scored in double digits, two others just shy, and 11 players logged over 10 minutes. Pedro Martinez’s system continues to impress, moving the ball, attacking mismatches, and riding momentum. Bolmaro fought hard for Milano, scoring a career-high 31 points, but it wasn’t enough to overturn Valencia’s balanced attack. The game was a showcase of tactical adjustments, bench energy, and last-second heroics, and in a season full of parity, matchups like this are exactly what make EuroLeague must-watch TV.

 

Anadolu Efes vs Fenerbahçe

Blood runs hot in Istanbul, but never hotter than during the 40 minutes of a Turkish Derby and this one did not disappoint. Anadolu Efes came out firing, opening an 8-0 run that had the crowd on their feet. Fenerbahçe responded, punching back through Shane Larkin for four quick points, but their initial strategy of switching the PnR with Khem Birch on the floor was a mess. Efes attacked him relentlessly, with Weiler-Babb in particular making a statement, scoring eight points in just over six minutes. It wasn’t only him, all Efes guards were finding success, touching the paint, forcing rotations, and racking up assists; after one quarter, Efes already had eight assists on nine made field goals. Fenerbahçe’s shooting wasn’t pretty, but they hung around thanks to crashing the offensive glass, trailing 24-18 after the first.

The second quarter was a chess match. Fenerbahçe adjusted, dropping Bacot Jr. in the PnR and hedging with the others, but it mostly resulted in trading buckets. Saras called a timeout, and as usual, an ATO play sparked a 5-0 run that tied the game. Anadolu answered back, attacking opposing bigs in the PnR and getting to the free-throw line in a quarter full of whistles. Leads kept changing hands, and offense clearly had the upper hand, by halftime, Fenerbahçe held a narrow 44-43 lead. Their efficiency inside the arc (12/18) stood out against Efes’ smaller interior rotation, while the hosts relied more on the outside shot (6/14 from deep).

The second half turned into a grind. The third quarter started slow: 5-5 over the first three minutes, highlighted by Osmani picking up his fourth foul, thinning Fenerbahçe’s interior rotation and forcing Kokoskov into a four-guard lineup with PJ Dozier at the four. Defense tightened in Istanbul, points became scarce, and a Baldwin IV three with a Colson follow-up gave Fenerbahçe a five-point lead, forcing a timeout. Efes replied with a 5-0 run of their own, led by Larkin, and the quarter ended 15-14 in Efes’ favor, leaving it all tied going into the final period.

The fourth quarter belonged entirely to Fenerbahçe. They opened with a 6-0 run in the first minute and a half, and Efes never got closer than four points the rest of the way. Fenerbahçe’s defense, which had been building all game, now fully asserted itself. An Efes offense that had looked like a well-oiled machine in the first half suddenly looked out of sync, unable to find good shots. Hall’s three-pointer with 2:33 remaining felt like the dagger, Fenerbahçe up nine. They held on, winning 79-69, extending the road team’s dominance in the Istanbul Derby to 10 of the last 13 matchups.

Individually, Wade Baldwin flirted with a triple-double (10 points, 7 rebounds, 8 assists), or maybe even a quadruple-double if you count his seven turnovers. But it was Fenerbahçe’s collective defensive identity that won the day, holding Anadolu to just 9-of-26 shooting in the second half. For Efes, poor free-throw shooting (12-of-22) and an inability to consistently crack Fenerbahçe’s defense were decisive. Weller-Babb with 17 and Larkin with 13 points and nine assists tried valiantly, but it wasn’t enough. Istanbul bragging rights go to Fenerbahçe, at least until the next derby.

 

Virtus vs Panathinaikos

From the tip, this game was played at a high tempo, two teams looking to impose themselves, but Virtus came with a very clear plan: put size on Kendrick Nunn and take him out of the equation. With Karim Jallow matched up on him, 197 centimeters of length and athleticism, Virtus executed it perfectly. Nunn managed only five points in the first half, and that tells you just how disciplined Virtus’ defense was.

Scorers from both sides went to work early, Carsen Edwards and Nunn trading buckets, but Nunn’s night was cut short by Virtus’ elite defensive length and switching. On Panathinaikos’ side, Yurtseven was the lone center available and picked up two fouls in the first quarter, forcing a spell on the bench. Mitoglu slid to the five, Smailagic and Diof exploited inside, but it wasn’t enough to counter Virtus’ overall athleticism. Mathew Morgan stepped up when Carsen rested, handling scoring duties with confidence and poise, a marked improvement from his rookie season in Europe.

By halftime, Virtus had dictated the pace. They dominated the glass, forced seven turnovers, and slowed down everything Panathinaikos tried to do. Panathinaikos was never comfortable; their inside game was limited and their rhythm disrupted. Efficiency-wise, Virtus were on point, hitting their marks both inside and out, building a largest first-half lead of 15 before going to the locker room ahead by 13.

The second half saw Panathinaikos’s emotions boil over. Nunn picked up an unsportsmanlike foul and, with Ataman receiving two technicals and eventually ejected, Virtus capitalized, stretching the gap back to 13 after a Panathinaikos run at the start of the third. Even with Carsen off the floor, Virtus continued to score at a high clip. Panathinaikos elevated their defense, but their offense couldn’t keep up, only TJ Shorts was consistently producing, and Virtus’ lead climbed to 16 entering the fourth.

What makes Virtus dangerous is their versatility: their set plays generate looks inside and out, and they can punish a team in multiple ways. In the fourth, double teams on Nunn, executed by Hackett, Niang and Jallow, all elite defenders, were deadly effective. By the time the final buzzer sounded, Virtus was coasting to victory. Pajola flirted with a triple-double, and the team as a whole showed that if they carry this momentum forward, they might be a serious problem for the rest of the league.

This Virtus squad is not messing around: in their three games against Real, Monaco, and Panathinaikos, they held all opponents under 75 points, a statement of defensive dominance and a warning to anyone underestimating them this season.

 

Key Performances of the Past Week:

It’s time we shine a light on Nadir Hifi. The French guard has been quietly superb all season, but the Partizan game was when he truly stepped into the spotlight. In a hostile environment, Hifi put on a show, scoring 21 points, grabbing four rebounds, and dishing four assists in just 22:27 of playing time. Even more impressive? He did it while missing only three shots, 5-of-6 from two, 3-of-5 from deep, and a perfect 2-of-2 from the line.

What makes Hifi so captivating isn’t just the efficiency, it’s the way he wreaks havoc on defenses. He was able to dismantle every PnR defense Partizan threw at him. He attacked the teeth of the defense, breaking down defenders with his floater game and crafty finishes, turning what should have been contested shots into effortless points. There’s a kind of genius in the way he manipulates space and timing, and at just 23 years old, the ceiling feels endless. If EuroLeague fans are lucky, we’ll be watching Hifi dismantle defenses for many seasons to come.

Tammir Blatt deserves a spotlight after delivering one of those EuroLeague moments you tell friends about. Scoreless from behind the arc all game, he calmly drained the game-winning shot with just five seconds left. Beyond the dagger, Blatt’s stat line tells the story of a complete floor general: 12 points, 9 assists, 2 rebounds and only 2 turnovers in 27 minutes. Efficient, clutch, and unflappable. And then there’s Loonie, who had a night that made defenses regret every second they dared contest him. Dropping 27 points with zero turnovers, he was both the scorer and the engine, executing at an elite level while keeping the ball secure.

 

Standings Watch:

After six rounds, Hapoel is standing tall as the first clear leader of the EuroLeague with a 5-1 record. The Israelis have been a force on offense, topping both O-Rating and effective field goal percentage, and leaning heavily on the long-range shot, 25 attempts per game at an eye-popping 40% efficiency. Vasilije Micić deserves a nod here, looking like vintage Micić, scoring with ease while also leading the team in assists, orchestrating the offense like a maestro who never misses a beat.

Defense, too, has been steadily improving. The advanced stats show Hapoel comfortably in the top half of the league in D-Rating, a sign that this isn’t just a flash in the pan. It’s early, sure, but the message they’re sending is loud and unmistakable: We are here to win. And with the way they’re running, shooting, and distributing, the rest of the EuroLeague would be wise to take notice.

 

Week 5 Games to Watch:

Valencia vs Fenerbahçe

Valencia vs Fenerbahçe is a no-brainer for any basketball fan. Two of the most exciting teams in the competition square off in an arena that might not yet have the mythic history of “La Fonteta,” but the Roig Arena is ready to be a nightmare for anyone stepping on the court.

Both teams enter with a 3-3 record, each hungry to add another W to the column. The clash is a study in contrasts: different styles, elite talent on the floor and on the bench, and coaching masterminds orchestrating it all. Pedro Martínez and Šarūnas Jasikevičius are two of European basketball’s sharpest minds, and in this matchup, we get a front-row seat to their chess match, where only one team will leave standing at the end.

Olympiacos vs Hapoel

Olympiacos vs Hapoel is shaping up as another heavyweight clash at the top of the standings, promising edge-of-your-seat action from the first tip to the final buzzer.

The Peace and Friendship Stadium will roar as usual for the hosts, creating one of the most intimidating atmospheres in Europe. But Hapoel remains undefeated on the road, meaning someone’s streak will end by the final horn. On paper, the matchup is tight: two of EuroLeague’s best offenses going up against defenses that are at least above average, with Olympiacos leaning a bit more on the hedge.

Everything points to a razor-close contest, the kind of game you simply cannot miss.

Zalgiris vs Virtus

Zalgiris vs Virtus is shaping up as a must-watch for any fan who loves elite guard play. Both teams are flying high and operate fast, fun systems that push the pace and lean on full-bench rotations to keep fresh legs and new solutions on the floor. Zalgiris has defensive options ready to contain Carsen Edwards, Syrvidis, for example, but that only raises the stakes for Matthew Morgan. He’ll need to be in peak form, both facilitating for Carsen and producing himself, because in a game like this, every creation and every bucket matters.

 

What’s at Stake:

Anadolu Efes has started the season on a sour note. Built to compete at the very top, this team finds itself in 18th place after six games, with only two wins to show for all that talent.

It’s not a lack of skill, the roster is stacked, the offense is beautifully designed, but cohesion is still a work in progress. Moments that should have been controlled, like the fourth quarter against Fenerbahçe, have exposed cracks. On the other end, a struggling defense has only compounded the issues.

Sure, time will smooth some of these wrinkles. But in a league where “every game matters,” waiting might be too late. Coach Kokoskov has a steep climb ahead, trying to accelerate that process and make sure a team this talented doesn’t become the season’s biggest disappointment.

 

EuroLeague Headlines:

It’s been a busy week in EuroLeague front offices, with teams shaking up rosters and bringing in fresh faces to tilt the balance.

Bruno Fernando finally found a new home. His stint in Madrid didn’t pan out as hoped, but the Angolan center now gets a chance to start fresh in Belgrade, giving Partizan a different profile at center and some badly needed depth.

Across town, Crvena Zvezda dipped into the NBA pool as well, snagging Jared Butler to add another scoring option to a backcourt thinned by injuries. Valencia made a similar move, bringing in Braxton Key. With 37 NBA games under his belt and a G-League Defensive Player of the Year award last season, the American forward arrives ready to contribute to team success in a tangible way.

And then there’s the big splash: Spencer Dinwiddie. The 10-year NBA veteran, who averages roughly 13 points and 5 assists for his career, is joining FC Bayern. Experience, self-creation, someone who can take over a moment when it matters most, the kind of player a playoff-hungry team dreams about. Whether it’s enough for a serious push remains to be seen.

EuroLeague was already overflowing with elite talent, and now it’s even deeper. Rumors suggest the movement isn’t slowing down anytime soon, and that only makes the race for the playoffs even juicier.

 

This article was written by the European Hoops team: Tiago Cordeiro, João Caeiro and André Lemos. Make sure you give us a follow on Twitter at @EthosEuroleague!

Three weeks in, and the EuroLeague already feels like it’s operating at playoff temperature. The narratives are forming fast, Dubai introducing itself to the continent like a houseguest who immediately redecorates the living room, Barcelona trying to remember what rhythm feels like, and Real Madrid reminding everyone why depth is a luxury few can match. It’s early, sure, but the trends are starting to crystallize: who’s organized, who’s improvising, and who’s already looking for the panic button. This isn’t just week-to-week basketball; it’s a continent-wide pressure test, one possession at a time.

Week 3 gave us everything that makes this league addictive: tactical feints, unexpected heroes, and arenas vibrating with storylines. Dubai vs. Barça wasn’t just a novelty, it was a declaration that the new kid on the block came to stay. Valencia and Monaco danced between chaos and control, while Madrid and Partizan wrote another chapter in their beautifully spiteful rivalry. Throw in Sloukas’ masterclass in point guard purity, Osman’s statement night, and the mounting tension in Istanbul, and you’ve got a EuroLeague week that demanded your full attention. Buckle up, because this season’s rhythm is already starting to sound like a drumline.

 

The Games of week 3:

Dubai vs Barcelona

Welcome to the Coca-Cola Arena, a new frontier for the EuroLeague and the stage for one of Week 3’s most intriguing duels. Dubai and Barcelona, both riding momentum from recent wins, squared off in a matchup that felt less like a novelty and more like a statement: Dubai is here to compete.

From the opening tip, the hosts had a plan and executed it with precision. They opened with an inverted pick-and-roll for Kabengele, the big man handling the ball like a guard, a wrinkle that immediately popped. A 6-0 run followed, capped by a gorgeous Hi-Lo connection between Kabengele and Petrusev. Barcelona tried to respond through Shengelia in the post, but that decision turned sour quickly. The Georgian forced looks, calling his own number on four of the team’s first seven field goals, hitting just one. It summed up Barça’s early rhythm, stagnant, uncomfortable, and searching. With 4:25 left in the first, Penarroya burned a timeout already staring at an 18–5 hole. The mini-burst that followed (6–2) barely moved the needle, and Dubai closed the quarter up 24–15. Their defense was sharp, physical, and organized; Barcelona shot just 6-of-19. Petrusev and Kabengele combined for 13 and owned the interior.

The second quarter shifted gears completely, slower, more bruising, and oddly tense. Dubai’s offense vanished for stretches, particularly when Bacon and Wright IV weren’t on the floor. Barcelona chipped away methodically, piecing together a 9–2 run to tie the game’s tempo to their liking. Joel Parra then flipped the script entirely, back-to-back wing threes gave the Catalans a four-point lead before Dubai finally hit their first three-pointer of the night. At halftime, Barcelona had clawed ahead 34–33, largely because they held Dubai to just nine points in the quarter.

But whatever calm Barça found evaporated after halftime. Dubai came out targeting Willy Hernangómez relentlessly, every trip down, he was the pressure point, either in the post or defending the pick-and-roll. To his credit, he held his ground decently. On the other end, Clyburn, scoreless in the first half, came alive, scoring seven quick points (though he left four at the line). Yet for every surge, Petrusev had an answer. The Serbian matched Clyburn’s seven and kept Dubai steady before Vesely momentarily swung momentum Barcelona’s way with a 9–2 run fueled by Empty Side pick-and-rolls. But Dubai didn’t blink. Another 6–0 spurt, Bacon, Petrusev again and suddenly the hosts led 58–56 heading into the fourth.

Then came the knockout sequence. Davis Bertans lit up the start of the fourth with eight straight points, followed by Prepelic finally joining the party with a three-pointer to push the lead to six. Penarroya’s timeout didn’t help; Barcelona’s offense sputtered, coughing up turnovers and bricking open looks. The adjustment came late, Toko at the five, which briefly revived them. Shengelia broke the drought, scored an and-one, and trimmed what had been a 10-point deficit down to six. But with 1:40 left, Golemac’s timeout iced Barcelona’s rhythm. A quick four points restored a double-digit lead.

Even then, chaos had one last cameo. Bertans’ unsportsmanlike foul opened a door, Parra split the free throws, Brizuela scored, Prepelic missed both from the stripe, and suddenly “Basque Mamba” struck again from deep to make it a one-possession game. But Prepelic redeemed himself on the next trip, splitting at the line and sealing the 83–78 win.

Dubai finished with five players in double digits, but none shone brighter than Filip Petrusev. The Serbian was the fulcrum, 23 points, eight rebounds, and composure that belied the moment. His fingerprints were everywhere.

Barcelona, meanwhile, saw isolated resistance from Shengelia and Brizuela, but not enough cavalry. Punter was invisible (just two points), and Clyburn’s brief third-quarter burst never carried over. Against a fired-up Dubai side defending their new home floor, it wasn’t enough.

 

Valencia vs Monaco

Valencia came out young, small and short on creation, and Monaco smelled blood right away. The trio of Theis, Blossomgame and Diallo started hunting mismatches like sharks circling a smaller fish, and it worked. They carved up Valencia inside, forced the defense to collapse, and once the paint was clogged, the outside opened up. Strazzel took advantage, drilling back-to-back threes to stretch the early lead.

Valencia’s offense, meanwhile, looked completely out of sync. Monaco pressed them full-court, choking their spacing, and at the 6:20 mark, the home side had managed just four points. Something had to change, and it did, Darrius Thompson, Brancou Badio, and Sako checked in, injecting rim pressure, athleticism, and a spark of creation. Suddenly, Valencia was alive. Josep Puerto hit two threes in a row, the energy picked up, the defense tightened, and the crowd got into it. The “run and gun” Valencia started to look like the one that frustrates veteran teams with tempo and intensity.

But every run has a counterpunch, and Monaco’s came hard an 11–0 burst that reasserted control. Mirotic was at the heart of it, stretching the floor and giving Monaco’s offense a different dimension. Okobo, often erratic, was steady and precise as the primary ball-handler, while Kevarrius Hayes anchored the rim protection. Then came the dagger stretch: Mirotic and Nedovic went on a mini-tear as Valencia went scoreless, and the gap ballooned to 20. Monaco’s offense was layered, smart, and balanced, efficient from two, effective from deep.

Valencia, to their credit, refused to fold. They kept running, kept firing, and the threes started falling again. The lead shrank to just six at one point, and the pace favored them. But inexperience is a cruel teacher. The first few minutes of the fourth quarter turned into a masterclass in what not to do: defenders ducking under Nedovic screens and giving him open looks, Pradilla leading a fast break and turning it over instead of handing the ball to a guard, and silly fouls that piled up fast. DeLarrea’s fifth foul capped it all off.

By the end, Monaco’s maturity and composure carried them through. Valencia finished with 14 turnovers, far too many in a game where the margins were slim. Mike James didn’t have his shot, but he didn’t need it; eight assists and control of the tempo were enough to tilt things Monaco’s way.

 

Real Madrid vs Partizan

This one wasn’t just another EuroLeague matchup, it was a continuation of one of basketball’s most intense rivalries. And from the opening tip, Real Madrid made their intentions clear: they were going to bully Partizan inside. Gabriel Deck and Walter Tavares set the tone early, punishing mismatches and forcing the Grobari to hedge hard in pick-and-rolls just to survive. But even that adjustment came with a cost. Madrid exploited every rotation, built a 13–5 lead midway through the quarter, and completely dominated the glass, 13 rebounds to Partizan’s 4. By the end of one, Real had gone 8-for-9 on twos and led 24–12, pure frontcourt destruction.

Partizan tried to fight back through scheme and grit. A diagonal cross screen freed Bonga for an easy layup, and they began hunting Bruno Fernando’s defensive weak spots, but it wasn’t enough to slow Madrid’s rhythm. The second quarter turned into a clinic. Trey Lyles abused switches for eight straight points, the ball zipped around beautifully, and Theo Maledon’s on-ball creation solved every defensive puzzle Partizan threw their way. Los blancos looked synchronized, defense rotating perfectly, offense flowing like clockwork. Partizan, by contrast, fell into isolation habits, shooting 8-for-18 from two and 3-for-11 from deep. The halftime numbers told the story: Madrid up 52–39, the bench contributing 27 points, and rebounding a landslide at 22–11.

Partizan made a smart halftime adjustment, rolling out Osetkowski to drag Tavares away from the paint, a strategy that worked offensively but didn’t fix the defensive bleeding. Lyles again opened the half on fire, and the third quarter turned into a trade-off of baskets with no real shift in momentum. Both teams scored 23 in the frame, but the damage was already done; Real carried their 19-point cushion into the fourth.

Marinkovic tried to breathe life into Partizan with five straight points to start the final quarter. Then came an 8–0 Grobari burst that cut the lead to 11 and forced Scariolo to call timeout as the gap fell into single digits. Suddenly, Partizan had rhythm, Washington hit a three, the deficit was four, and the tension was back in WiZink Center. But Real, as they so often do, steadied the ship. They closed the game with composure, made enough stops, and held off a desperate 6-of-9 three-point shooting spree from Partizan’s final push. The comeback came too late.

Rebounding was the throughline, Real finished with 12 more boards, owning both ends. Tavares led the charge with 19 points and 8 rebounds, backed by four other players in double figures, a testament to Madrid’s depth.

For Partizan, Jabari Parker’s 23 points and Dylan Osetkowski’s 11 and 6 were bright spots, especially the latter’s ability to expose Tavares in space. But in the end, it was Madrid’s control, poise, and sheer size that carried the day, a reminder that against this Real team, you don’t get to make mistakes twice.

 

Key Performances of the Past Week:

Kostas Sloukas vs Anadolu Efes

This week’s flowers go straight to Kostas Sloukas. The veteran point guard didn’t just run an offense, he orchestrated it. In Panathinaikos’ win over Anadolu Efes, Sloukas posted a modest 7 points but handed out 12 assists with zero turnovers, a pure point guard masterclass, the kind we see less and less in today’s EuroLeague.

The tone was set immediately. On the very first possession, Panathinaikos ran a Ram Screen into a Spain Pick-and-Roll, and Sloukas went to work, dragging Papagiannis with the dribble, manipulating the tag defender with nothing but his eyes, and delivering a perfect pass to Yurtseven for what should’ve been an easy layup. The shot missed, but the message was clear: the maestro was in control.

From there, it was vintage Sloukas. Every read, every pass, every pocket window was timed with surgical precision. He manipulated help defenders like chess pieces, dragged bigs into no-man’s land, and made the game look effortless, as if he were directing traffic with a glance. The passes were crisp, the rhythm constant, the execution flawless.

He didn’t just play the game; he owned it. In an era where athleticism and shot volume often drown out subtlety, Sloukas reminded everyone that basketball IQ still reigns supreme. Speed fades, hops disappear, but feel, timing, and control? That’s forever.

Cedi Osman vs Anadolu Efes

Cedi Osman deserves his flowers for Round 5 and fittingly, he earned them at home. Against Efes, the Turkish forward delivered a statement performance: 29 points, 6-of-10 from deep, 5 rebounds, and just one turnover. It was a showcase of confidence and poise, the kind of game that carries echoes of his EuroBasket form.

Coach Ataman must have smiled quietly seeing one of his most important players light up the floor like that, efficient, composed, and in full command. Osman’s blend of energy and shot-making has been the spark Madrid needed early in the season, and this night in Turkey felt like both a personal and symbolic win, a reminder that he’s ready to be a star, not just a role.

 

Standings Watch:

We’ve got a duo sitting atop the EuroLeague mountain, and it couldn’t be a more fascinating pair. On one side, Panathinaikos, an historical titan of European basketball, carrying decades of tradition, banners, and expectations. On the other, Hapoel, the brash newcomer trying to carve its name among the elites sooner rather than later.

Both sit at 4–1, and both got here in a similar way, by simply scoring more than everyone else. That’s not a simplification; that’s their identity. Just score more. Run, flow, attack, and overwhelm. Both are in the top three in Offensive Rating, and every night feels like a test of who can keep pace. It’s a pure, joyful brand of basketball and as long as that offense holds, there’s no reason to think the wins won’t keep coming.

At the other end of the table, the temperature’s rising fast in Istanbul. Both Turkish powerhouses are carrying the weight of expectation, and neither is meeting it. Anadolu Efes sits at 16th, Fenerbahce at 14th, two spots that look wildly out of place for clubs built to contend. Efes already owns a solid win against Olympiacos, but that victory feels more like a flicker than a turning point. Fener, on the other hand, hasn’t yet faced the EuroLeague’s true heavyweights, and their two wins came against softer competition.

The context makes it worse. Both teams invested heavily, Fener even more so and both expected results by now. Instead, there’s confusion, inconsistency, and that familiar sense of unease. For Fenerbahce, the issue is déjà vu: a lack of a true guard to organize, calm, and guide them through the flow of a game. It’s a problem they faced last season before McCollum arrived, and one that’s starting to define them again.

The standings may be early-season snapshots, but they already tell stories, of ascents and anxieties, chemistry found and chemistry still missing. Panathinaikos and Hapoel are dancing with the rhythm of their offense; Efes and Fener are searching for one.

 

Week 4 Games to Watch:

Barcelona vs Zalgiris

Both teams come into this one with mirrored records at 3–2, but vastly different vibes. The last double week wasn’t kind to Zalgiris, who stumbled after a flawless 3–0 start. Barcelona, meanwhile, mixed dominance and frustration: a blowout win over Maccabi, followed by a tight loss to Dubai under the lights of the UAE.

This matchup has all the ingredients for basketball junkies and highlight-chasers alike, a tactical battle drenched in talent and rhythm. Expect scoring, creativity, and a chess match that will have both benches working overtime. A high-scoring affair, yes, but more than that: a statement game for whoever wants to prove they belong in the top tier. Must-watch TV, no question.

Anadolu Efes vs Fenerbahçe

The Istanbul Derby. Say it slowly, you can almost feel the electricity. Two contenders, two giants, one city, and a rivalry that means more than just wins and losses.

Both squads enter at 2–3, both split their games last week, and both are searching for identity. Fenerbahçe finally broke their losing streak at home versus Bayern, but they’re still nowhere near the form that made them champions a year ago. Anadolu Efes, likewise, is figuring out how to turn individual flashes into sustained consistency.

But here’s the thing: in a game like this, form doesn’t matter. Not when pride, noise, and bragging rights are on the line. This isn’t just another EuroLeague matchup, it’s Istanbul’s heartbeat.

Hapoel vs Monaco

If we take the Turkish derby out of the equation, this might just be the game of the round. Both teams sit near the top of the standings, 2nd and 3rd and both feature backcourts that can light up the scoreboard in a blink.

Hapoel plays fast, confident, and loves the three, 41% from deep, third-best in the league. Monaco, on the other hand, thrives in control and discipline, boasting the third-best defense and holding opponents to just 33% from three. Something’s got to give.

Expect Monaco to slow the pace, tighten the screws, and test Hapoel’s patience. The battle of styles will extend to the frontcourt too: Monaco’s athletic power forwards and wings could be decisive against Hapoel’s slower-footed fours, and even Daniel Theis might find favorable matchups inside against Hapoel’s lengthier centers.

This one’s not just about who wins, it’s about who bends and who breaks.

 

What’s at Stake:

Baskonia’s Nightmare Start

Baskonia’s start has been historical, but for all the wrong reasons. The Basque club just endured their worst-ever opening to a EuroLeague season (0–5), and things could still get uglier. The injury bug didn’t just knock, it moved in.

Rodions Kurucs suffered a relapse of his plantar fascia injury and is now day-to-day, Markus Howard, who’s been a shadow of himself, is out with a finger problem, and Trent Forrest, one of the few bright spots in this rough stretch, will miss several weeks with a hamstring injury.

To plug the backcourt holes, Kobi Simmons has arrived, bringing his G-League pedigree and scoring punch, but the challenge ahead is enormous. Baskonia’s next stop? A red-hot Crvena Zvezda squad that smells blood. The task is simple to say and brutal to execute: avoid extending this nightmare start and find any kind of spark before the season slips away completely.

Zalgiris and the Fall to Earth

This segment belongs to Zalgiris, because what many feared has already happened. The inconsistency that lurked behind their early-season success finally showed up. After a 3–0 start, the Lithuanian side has now dropped three straight, including two in EuroLeague play and another domestic stumble against EuroCup team BC Lietkabelis Panevėžys.

What’s surprising is how it happened. Their defense, the very foundation of their early wins, has cracked. Despite still ranking as the 4th-best defense in the EuroLeague, they’ve been leaking points at a worrying rate, allowing an average of 88 per game over this skid. That’s a sharp contrast from the disciplined unit they were before.

Offensively, they’re still holding up; role players are stepping up, and the scoring balance remains steady. But their coverage on Milano’s pick-and-roll game exposed weaknesses that can’t be ignored. For Zalgiris, this isn’t a crisis yet, but it’s a clear warning shot: defense has to travel, or this promising start will fade fast.

 

EuroLeague Headlines:

Nate Sestina Joins EA7 Milano

Nate Sestina is officially joining EA7 Milano and while on paper it’s a solid move, there are a few reasons to be cautious.

It’s a good signing, Sestina brings shooting, energy and smart off-ball movement, but the fit raises questions. Milano’s wing rotation is already stacked, and they’re shooting 40% from three as a team, which means the exact things Sestina provides aren’t exactly in short supply right now.

This could, however, be a hint at something bigger. With Vlatko Čančar on his way out, the move makes much more sense. In that case, Milano secures a reliable shooter and floor spacer, and Sestina lands in a high-level environment where his skill set still has room to shine, a win-win for both sides.

 

This article was written by the European Hoops team: Tiago Cordeiro, João Caeiro, Diogo Valente and André Lemos. Make sure you give us a follow on Twitter at @EthosEuroleague!

Week 2 of the EuroLeague stormed in, a chaotic symphony of momentum swings, buzzer-beaters and tactical cat-and-mouse games that left fans either delirious or heartbroken. From Vitoria-Gasteiz to Piraeus, arenas shook, benches erupted and the kind of plays that usually live in highlight reels defined entire games. This wasn’t basketball on cruise control; it was a reminder that in Europe’s top competition, every possession is a story, and every timeout a chance to rewrite the script.

Take Baskonia vs. Panathinaikos, for instance. What began as a tentative, sloppy first quarter, the kind that makes you check the score twice, morphed into a 40-minute rollercoaster where leads evaporated, small-ball lineups sparked, and Kendrick Nunn reminded everyone why he’s the guy you want when the game screams for a hero. Or consider Hapoel vs. Maccabi, where the first derby of the season delivered precisely what it promised: raw emotion, pace, and enough chaos to make stat sheets irrelevant. And that was just Tuesday. Across the continent, shifts in strategy, adjustments on the fly, and the kind of efficiency that can only be learned in the crucible of EuroLeague pressure shaped a week that felt less like games and more like theater.

 

The Games of week 2:

Baskonia vs Panathinaikos: A Fight That Refused to End Quietly

It started nothing like anyone expected, two offensive juggernauts looking stuck in first gear. Both Baskonia and Panathinaikos opened flat, missing open looks and turning the ball over. Five early giveaways from the Greens, capped by a sloppy one from Jerian Grant, forced an early timeout with the score just 9–7 in Panathinaikos’ favor, a crawl for two of the most potent attacks in Europe.

But out of that timeout came a spark. A quick 7–0 run from the visitors flipped the rhythm entirely, led by flashes of the old T.J. Shorts, aggressive, confident, breaking down defenders and collapsing the paint. Baskonia got quality looks but couldn’t convert. Only Timothé Luwawu-Cabarrot broke the trend, scoring 7 of Baskonia’s 14 first-quarter points without a miss and keeping them afloat. When the horn sounded, the hosts were down six, undone by accuracy inside the arc (Panathinaikos 8/13; Baskonia 4/13) and a tempo that never quite found its pace.

The second quarter opened with more purpose from the home side. A 5–2 run energized the Buesa crowd, especially as Baskonia began attacking through ghost screens and carving out driving lanes. Their defense briefly matched the energy, hard hedges, help rotations, and aggressive late-clock switches, but the discipline didn’t last. Two quick Cedi Osman threes punished blown rotations and stretched the lead to 11, forcing Galbiati to burn another timeout.

With all three bigs in foul trouble, Baskonia went small, sliding Rodions Kurucs to the five and accidentally discovering something that worked. The defense tightened, the floor opened, and Panathinaikos’ traditional bigs suddenly looked uncomfortable guarding in space. Even as the Greens found ways to attack mismatches, Baskonia’s five-out system kept the game alive, trimming what had been a 13-point deficit to just six at halftime, 42–36.

The second half began with a reminder of basketball’s oldest truth: it’s a game of runs. Baskonia erupted with seven unanswered points, five from captain Tadas Sedekerskis to grab a brief 43–42 lead, forcing Ergin Ataman to stop the bleeding. And out of that huddle came Panathinaikos’ own surge, a blistering 13–2 run in three minutes fueled by Juancho Hernangómez and Kendrick Nunn, who combined for 12 of those 13 points.

Galbiati went back to the small-ball look that had worked earlier, but lightning doesn’t strike twice. The Greens were ready this time. With better matchups and smarter rotations, they punished every mistake, and a string of poor decisions from Markquis Nowell left Baskonia staring at their biggest hole of the night, down 15 entering the final quarter.

But Baskonia doesn’t quit easily. A 7–2 burst to start the fourth brought life back into the building, and for once, it was their defense — not their shotmaking, that fueled belief. They held Panathinaikos scoreless for nearly three minutes, crawling back within reach. Still, when Jerian Grant’s late layup pushed the Greens back up nine with just over two minutes left, it felt finished.

It wasn’t. Diallo hit his free throws, Baskonia forced two stops, and Luwawu-Cabarrot buried a jumper to cut it to four. Panathinaikos grabbed two offensive rebounds on the next trip before Nunn, fittingly, ended the chaos with a crucial make. Diallo answered immediately from deep, and the arena shook once more. Down three with seconds left, Trent Forrest went to the line, calmly hit the first, then intentionally missed the second so perfectly that he recovered it himself and laid it in, tie game.

But not all stories get the fairytale ending. With four seconds left, Kendrick Nunn attacked left, rose over two defenders, and buried the knockout jumper. 86–84, Panathinaikos.

The Greens owed the win to their trio of Nunn, Osman, and Juancho, who combined for 65 of the team’s 86 points and delivered every timely bucket when the game tightened. Baskonia, now 0–3, will again feel like they let one slip away. Defense wasn’t the issue this time, offense was. Despite five players in double figures, their go-to scorer Markus Howard finished with zero points in 20 minutes, a stat that says as much about the night as any box score can.

 

Hapoel vs Maccabi: The First Derby Delivers

The first EuroLeague derby of the season didn’t just meet expectations, it matched the chaos and electricity the rivalry promises every year. From the opening tip, it was fast, high-scoring, and fueled by emotion on both sides.

Maccabi, after struggling from deep in their earlier games, came out firing, hitting 4 of their first 6 from beyond the arc. Their rhythm was immediate, their spacing crisp, and that early shot-making gave them the control they had been missing. Loonie set the tone with his aggression, attacking the rim with purpose, while on the other side Elijah carried the load for Hapoel, matching intensity for intensity.

The Brisset–Hoard combo at the forward spots proved to be a quiet difference-maker. Their size and length were too much for Hapoel’s wings, who couldn’t physically match up possession after possession. Hapoel’s decision to switch nearly everything on defense backfired at times, a few miscommunications, a few slow recoveries, and Maccabi punished every one of them with clean looks.

On the offensive end, Hapoel never looked entirely comfortable. Maccabi’s length and pressure disrupted their rhythm, forcing turnovers and pushing them out of their usual flow. Micic, who had been the steadying hand in previous games, couldn’t find the same impact this time around. Sixteen turnovers across forty minutes told the story, Hapoel simply gave Maccabi too many extra chances.

And when it mattered most, Maccabi seized control. Hapoel went scoreless for three straight minutes in the closing stretch, watching their lead disappear under a 13–0 Maccabi run led by Jeff Dowtin’s relentless energy and shot-making. Brisset sealed it with a strong fourth quarter, closing possessions and making timely plays that broke Hapoel’s spirit.

Maccabi walked away with the win and maybe a little peace of mind. The shooting finally came alive, the defense held when it had to, and for one night at least, the yellow and blue could breathe again.

 

EA7 Milano vs AS Monaco: A Chess Match with a Wild Finish

This one had a theme from the very first possession. Monaco leaned on its two former MVPs, Mike James and Nikola Mirotić, not just as scorers but as creators. Running empty-corner pick-and-rolls through them, Monaco kept Milano in rotation, moving the ball smartly and generating open looks across the floor. Milano stayed loyal to their bread-and-butter pick-and-roll offense, but Monaco came ready. Their coverages were tight, their help precise, and their early teamwork showed: seven assists on nine made field goals and only two turnovers in the first quarter, good for a 22–17 lead.

Milano opened the second with a wrinkle. Instead of their usual 1–5 pick-and-roll, they ran the action through Zach LeDay, popping him to the perimeter, creating instant offense. He and Gudurić combined for eight straight points, briefly pushing Milano ahead 27–26. Okobo’s persistence, grabbing his own missed free throw and floating one in, swung it back Monaco’s way. Daniel Theis quietly became the hinge of the game, eight points by halftime, working as both roller and mismatch hunter, forcing Monaco’s defense to react.

Messina reached for a momentum-changer, dialing up one of Milano’s most trusted sets, Spain Action. But Monaco, sharp and disciplined, read it perfectly. The “Spanoulis boys,” as fans have started calling them, played it to a tee: the big showed just enough to disrupt timing before slipping the back screen, and the guards switched fluidly through the action, neutralizing the play completely. It summed up the half, Monaco staying one step ahead, maintaining a five-point cushion at the break.

Milano came out swinging in the second half. Messina doubled down on size, rolling out a double-big lineup with Booker and Dunston, switching everything. The move caught Monaco off balance, and Booker’s quick five tied the game. But Monaco adjusted fast. Their elite guards went to work on those switches, James manipulating angles, Strazel punishing space and in just 80 seconds, a 9–0 run restored control. Milano clawed back late in the quarter, finding life when Theis rested, trimming the deficit to four heading into the final frame.

The fourth quarter began sluggishly, almost three minutes without a field goal, before Monaco rediscovered their flow. Milano’s help schemes started to overextend, and Monaco made them pay. A classic Mike James mid-range pull-up stretched the lead to ten, forcing Messina to call time with 4:02 left. Out of it, Gudurić caught fire. He went on a personal 8–0 run, including a vintage four-point play, slicing the lead to two with just over 90 seconds left.

Monaco, suddenly tight, needed something and Mirotić delivered an offensive rebound and a trip to the line, splitting his free throws to nudge the lead to three. Milano refused to fade: a tough turnaround jumper made it a one-point game. Two empty Monaco trips later Shavon Shields raced out in transition with a chance to steal the win, but Alpha Diallo met him at the rim, soaring for a stunning block that stooped Unipol Forum dead in it’s tracks. Monaco held on as Strazel calmly sank both free throws, extending the lead to three.

Milano had one last chance. Down three, they held for the final shot; Monaco, choosing not to foul, let it play out. Lorenzo Brown got Theis off his feet with a pump fake but couldn’t sell the contact, the shot never truly left his hands as the buzzer sounded. Game over.

Mike James led Monaco with 18 points, but Daniel Theis was the night’s quiet star, a 17-point, 10-rebound double-double with stellar defense anchoring the visitors’ composure. Milano spread the scoring, five players in double figures, yet couldn’t sustain their rhythm. LeDay, after a strong start, went scoreless in the second half, and Messina’s decision not to use Nico Mannion (averaging 20 minutes and 5 assists in previous games) raised eyebrows.

A night of adjustments, swings and defiance ended with Monaco standing tall, and a reminder that sometimes, in the EuroLeague, execution beats familiarity.

 

Partizan vs Efes: Energy, Execution, and the Edge of Control

Belgrade got the version of Partizan everyone came to see: physical, aggressive, and relentless. The hosts came out firing, attacking the paint with force and converting two early and-ones to set the tone. Within minutes it was 13–4, Partizan owning both glass and tempo. Ty Jones dominated early, scoring eight first-quarter points and outworking Kai Jones inside. The offense hummed, the ball swung side to side, decisions quick and clean, while Efes, undone by sloppiness (six turnovers), stayed alive only because their threes were falling: 5-of-7 from deep in the opening period.

Partizan kept leaning on one of their most effective sets this season: clearing a side for Kevin Punter or PJ Dozier (in this one, Carlik Jones) to run a pindown for Jabari Parker. Parker curls, receives on the wing, and from there the defense is in trouble, two lethal options created out of simple structure. It worked again and again. The result: a high-scoring quarter, 31–24 Partizan, with Efes’ 15 of those 24 points coming from behind the arc.

In the second, the pattern held, only the personnel shifted. Efes cooled off from deep, while Partizan kept feeding the same blueprint. This time it was Osetkowski taking over inside, matching Ty Jones’ early energy with less flash but equal impact. Efes unraveled a bit further: Lloyd picked up three quick fouls, foul trouble stacked up, and their defense softened. By halftime, the numbers told the story, Efes with 10 turnovers to Partizan’s single one, the home side grabbing 11 offensive rebounds, and a 12-point lead to show for it.

Partizan’s length was a problem all half. Bonga and Brown tagged Larkin on switches, bullied him inside, and created separation whenever they wanted. Yet momentum shifted after the break. Efes came out with better structure, more motion, and more defensive urgency. They turned it over only once in the third and started stacking stops. Their threes kept dropping, and with every clean defensive possession, their confidence grew. Meanwhile, Partizan’s ball movement stalled. The energy dropped, decisions slowed, and the offense became predictable. Efes won the quarter by 10, trimming the deficit and exposing a recurring concern, just as in the loss to Milano, Partizan struggled to sustain focus through 40 minutes.

But this time, they found answers. The fourth quarter was a test of poise. Efes fell back into old habits, settling for quick threes and losing rhythm. Partizan, steadier now, closed with the right balance of pace and control. Sterling Brown showed up when it mattered, again, hitting timely, clutch shots that kept Efes from getting over the top.

Courdinier was flawless, literally, 24 points without a miss from the field (his only blemish a missed free throw). Osetkowski anchored both ends, but beyond those two, Efes got little consistent help outside of flashes from Larkin. For Partizan, it was a team win built on interior dominance and composure, with Brown and Bonga leading the scoring charge at 24 and 18 points respectively.

A night that began with brute force ended with control, the kind of win that reminds you what this Partizan team can look like when aggression meets discipline.

 

Olympiacos vs Dubai: Defense, Discipline and a Statement in Piraeus

For a few minutes, it looked like Dubai had something cooking in Peace and Friendship Stadium. Their offense flowed early, with Mfiondu Kabengele diving hard to the rim and punishing Olympiacos’ weak coverage on lob attempts. Those early dunks built confidence, and the visitors found a rhythm that quieted the home crowd, briefly.

Then, everything shifted. Olympiacos adjusted, digging into their off-ball sets, and suddenly Sasha Vezenkov was everywhere, curling, slipping, and punishing Dubai’s switch-heavy defense. The hosts hunted mismatches and won nearly every one. Dubai’s second unit entered without the same intensity, and by the end of the first quarter, the Greeks were in control, up seven and rising.

The second quarter brought more of the same. Dubai’s offense slowed to a crawl, heavy isolations for Dwayne Bacon, no real ball movement, and little rhythm. Their defense, built around constant switching, couldn’t keep up with Olympiacos’ cutting and screening. Every possession felt like a clinic in patience versus impatience. Olympiacos, crisp and composed, even devoted special attention to tracking Davis Bertans’ off-ball movement, refusing to give up easy looks.

A small subplot played out in the stands too: Filip Petrusev, once a home player here, was greeted not with applause but with boos from the Olympiacos faithful, a reminder that “Peace and Friendship” is just a name on the building when emotions run deep in Piraeus.

On the floor, the physical battle tilted further toward Olympiacos. Kabengele began to struggle against Nikola Milutinov’s sheer strength, sending the Serbian big to the line multiple times. By mid-second quarter, Dubai was completely out of rhythm, shooting just 10% from three with a single make to show for it.

With Shaq McKissic annd Thomas Walkup out Ntilikina and Ward’s energy off the bench gave Olympiacos a defensive identity that Dubai simply couldn’t solve. They chased over screens, denied passing lanes, and ran hard in transition. Dubai’s backcourt never found breathing room.

By the midpoint of the third quarter, the scoreboard told the story, a 19-point gap, and a game essentially decided. Olympiacos never eased up. Their defense tightened, rotations stayed sharp, and every possession reinforced what makes them so dangerous when locked in.

The fourth quarter mirrored the third, control, cohesion, and consistency. The biggest takeaway wasn’t the margin; it was the manner. Olympiacos defended with purpose and identity, the kind of defensive effort that doesn’t just win games, it builds championship muscle.

 

Key Performances of the Past Week:

Let’s get the obvious out of the way first: Kendrick Nunn was the headline act. The reigning MVP reminded everyone why there’s @nunnbetter_ with yet another masterpiece, this time closing the door on Baskonia in brutal, poetic fashion. But before diving into his brilliance, two other names deserve their flowers.

Kevin Punter had been quiet to start the season, but against Efes he rediscovered his rhythm, dropping 27 points and looking every bit like the cold-blooded scorer Partizan needs him to be. It wasn’t just the numbers, it was the confidence, the fluidity, the way he demanded the ball again. That’s the Punter we know.

And then there’s Isaïa Cordinier. Yes, it came in a losing effort, but the Frenchman was flawless, 24 points without missing a single field goal (his only miss came at the free throw line). He carried Efes offensively when no one else could and still managed to impact the game defensively. Nights like that, where he looked unbothered by pressure and simply took over, prove how complete he’s becoming.

Still, no one shone brighter this week than Kendrick Nunn. It’s getting redundant at this point, but he just keeps finding new ways to impress. Against Baskonia, he poured in 30 points and grabbed 7 rebounds, the kind of line that pops off the page. But what made it special wasn’t just the volume; it was how he did it.

Nunn shot 12-for-20 from the field (60%), including 3-for-7 from deep and a perfect 3-for-3 at the line, good for an elite 67.5% effective field goal percentage. That’s absurd efficiency in a EuroLeague setting where every shot is contested, every inch earned.

Still, even those numbers don’t fully capture his performance. The context matters, the timing mattered. When Panathinaikos needed a leader, Nunn became exactly that. He scored the final eight points for the Greens, including the coldest moment of the week: tie game, four seconds left, ball in his hands. Two dribbles right, a between-the-legs cross, one step left… swish. Two defenders contesting, no hesitation, just inevitability.

That was the knockout punch and the kind of sequence that defines MVPs.

As his Instagram handle says, and as Europe is quickly learning once again: there’s @nunnbetter_.

Standings Watch:

The alarms are starting to sound in Vitoria-Gasteiz, as Baskonia remains the only winless team in this year’s EuroLeague. Yes, that surprising road loss to ASVEL, a game they had to win, stung badly, but not everything is doom and gloom. Against both Greek giants, they’ve shown plenty of fight and were inches away from flipping their season narrative.

Against Olympiacos, they led with 2:30 left before surrendering 11 points in the closing stretch. Against Panathinaikos, it was even crueler: down by as many as 15, they stormed back to tie the game in the final seconds, only to watch Kendrick Nunn rise, release, and rip their hearts out with a cold-blooded midrange dagger.

But the EuroLeague table doesn’t care about “what ifs.” Baskonia needs wins, not moral victories. Their next opportunity comes in Paris, a potential “track meet” of a game that might finally unlock their offense. More than anything, though, they need Markus Howard to rediscover his rhythm. Averaging under 10 points per game and shooting just 33% from deep, he’s the engine of this team and when the engine sputters, the whole car stalls.

Keep an eye on Baskonia. The next couple of games could tell us whether they swim or sink.

If we’re talking about the other end of the table, Zalgiris is the standout story. Sitting at 3–0, this feels like another one of those classic Zalgiris runs we’ve seen before, a scrappy, well-oiled group punching above their weight early in the season. But there’s something different this time: they’ve already taken down two top-five teams, Monaco and Fenerbahçe. That’s no fluke.

Whether they’re built to sustain it is another question, and that’s exactly why this is the standings watch team. For now, they’ve earned every bit of that 3–0 and the rest of Europe is taking notice.

 

Week 3 Games to Watch:

Real Madrid vs Partizan

Real Madrid “welcoming” Partizan might not be the right phrasing. The memories of the 2023 Playoffs still hang heavy between these two giants, the tension, the emotion, the edge. Every time Real Madrid and Partizan share the floor, it feels personal.

Expect a slower tempo but a fierce, detail-heavy battle, the kind that basketball purists live for. With Zeljko Obradovic and Sergio Scariolo facing off, this isn’t just a game; it’s a chess match between two of Europe’s sharpest minds. Adjustments, counters, and execution will decide it. Every possession will tell a story.

 

Maccabi vs Barcelona

Call it a clash of styles. Maccabi loves chaos, speed, pace, and transition buckets. They come in confident after their derby win over Hapoel. Barça, meanwhile, is more deliberate and veteran-heavy, an older, less athletic group that thrives on control and halfcourt precision.

Keep an eye on the Clyburn vs Brisset/Hoard matchup; it’s a test of strength versus energy. But the real X-factor might be K.P. (likely Kalinic or Parker, depending on your shorthand), because it’s hard to see any Maccabi defender equipped to contain him.

This one should be fun and fast. Expect both teams to crack 90 points and for the highlight reel to be full by halftime.

 

Crvena Zvezda vs Zalgiris

How long can Zalgiris keep this up? That’s the question hovering over every EuroLeague conversation right now. The Lithuanians are unbeaten and riding a confidence wave, but the test in Belgrade is a different kind of challenge.

They’ll walk into one of Europe’s most intimidating arenas, facing Crvena Zvezda, fresh off a statement win over Fenerbahçe and with Sasa Obradovic back at the helm. The Crvena Zvezda faithful will bring the fire, the noise and the pressure.

A perfect record on the line, a cauldron of atmosphere, and two proud clubs colliding, what more could you want from a Friday night in the EuroLeague?

 

Anadolu Efes vs Panathinaikos

Two teams built for the Final Four, neither playing like it yet, which makes this one fascinating. Efes and Panathinaikos both ooze talent but are still chasing chemistry and consistency. Expect offense, and plenty of it.

For Ergin Ataman, it’s more than just another game, it’s a homecoming. The Turkish coach returns to Istanbul, to the club where he became a legend, now leading their green rivals into his old house. Given his fiery personality and the passion of Efes fans, there’s every chance this one turns electric, on and off the court.

High stakes. High emotion. High-level basketball. Week 3 is loaded.

 

What’s at Stake:

Fenerbahçe: Red flags or growing pains? That’s the question after back-to-back losses for the defending champs. Losing their main star has left a vacuum, and the team is still figuring out who they are without him.

Defense hasn’t been the problem, Fenerbahçe ranks second in Defensive Rating, but scoring efficiently has been. They’re in the bottom four in Offensive Rating, and that’s what Coach Saras must fix, and fast.

The return of Brandon Boston Jr. and Scottie Wilbekin, combined with a little regression toward the mean (Jantunen shooting 38% for his career but just 22% this season, Biberovic at 43% for his career but 30% now), should help ease the scoring burden. But maybe it’s also time for a fresh look at the playbook. EuroLeague titles aren’t defended by hope alone, adjustments start now if Fenerbahçe wants to compete.

Zalgiris: Consistency has been their story so far, and that’s impressive. The lineup of NWG–Francisco–Lo–Moses Wright is an elite four-man unit, with a supporting cast that knows its role inside and out. But even the best teams carry caveats: Zalgiris has been shooting 48.6% from three over the last three games. That’s unlikely to hold long-term.

Still, their guards are clever scorers who make everyone around them better. For now, the Lithuanians look like a team capable of a deep playoff run, but with the caveat that early success shouldn’t inflate expectations. They’re talented, disciplined, and dangerous, but they’re not invincible.

 

EuroLeague Headlines:

Sasa Obradovic Returns to Belgrade

Sasa Obradovic is back in Belgrade, a city he knows intimately after eight years as a player and one as a coach. After a successful stint guiding Monaco, Obradovic now takes the reins of Crvena Zvezda with one clear goal: a deep EuroLeague run and, potentially, the club’s first-ever Final Four appearance.

In the first game under an interim manager, the Red and Whites thrived playing at a high pace. With Obradovic in charge, expect that style to stick. The roster at his disposal is perfectly suited to a fast, aggressive approach, and if last season at Monaco is any indication, Belgrade fans may be in for a thrilling ride.

 

This article was written by the European Hoops team: Tiago Cordeiro, João Caeiro, Diogo Valente and André Lemos. Make sure you give us a follow on Twitter at @EthosEuroleague!

The EuroLeague is chaos wrapped in poetry, a weekly collision of rhythm, genius and grit. You don’t just watch it; you feel it. You feel it in the roar of Kaunas, in the flash of Musa’s crossover, in the snap of Bertans’ release that cuts through the silence like a blade. Week 1 didn’t simply begin a season, it reminded everyone why this league is basketball’s purest theatre. Every possession mattered, every rotation had purpose and every newcomer arrived with a statement carved in fire.

Dubai BC didn’t tiptoe into the EuroLeague; they crashed through the front door and left their footprints on Partizan’s floor. Bertans caught flames, Musa closed like a surgeon and the message was unmistakable, this isn’t a novelty act, it’s a team built to belong. Then there was Hapoel, playing at the speed of adrenaline, turning Barcelona’s defense into a blur of red and regret. Blakeney’s buckets came with exclamation marks, Micic’s orchestration with a conductor’s precision. Every sequence screamed identity.

And just when you thought you could exhale, Zalgiris reminded everyone what substance looks like. Discipline, shooting, resilience, they turned Fenerbahce and Monaco into stepping stones and looked like a team that’s been ready for this fight all summer. Through one week, the stories are already unfolding: new blood shaking old empires, veterans finding new gears, and the sense that every game this season might carry playoff weight. This is EuroLeague basketball: unpredictable, electric, and completely, irresistibly alive.

Games of the Past Week in the Euroleague:

Bertans Ignites, Musa Closes and the Newcomers Announce Themselves in the EuroLeague

For a first-ever EuroLeague game, Dubai BC looked like a team that had been here before. From the opening tip, they came out blazing, hitting seven of their first eight shots and running up an 18–10 lead midway through the first quarter. Davis Bertans, the Latvian laser, couldn’t miss: 11 points on 3-of-3 from deep in that span, the kind of heat check that instantly sets a tone.

Partizan, meanwhile, looked like they’d shown up to a gunfight with only one weapon, Jabari Parker. The former NBA forward carried the Serbian attack early with 9 of their 18 points, but it was a lonely battle. Zeljko Obradovic’s switching defense, usually a problem-solver, had no answers for Dubai’s crisp ball movement. The newcomers racked up seven assists on nine made field goals in the first ten minutes and were a perfect 6-of-6 from deep, taking the opening quarter 28–18 and making a loud statement: this wasn’t beginner’s luck; this was structure, confidence, and precision.

The second quarter brought course correction. Obradovic sat Jabari to open the frame and went inside to Tyrique Jones, who delivered four quick points. More importantly, Partizan’s defense finally started to bite. Dubai drifted from their flowing sets into isolation and mismatch hunting, exactly what Obradovic wanted. That shift slowed their offense, generated transition chances for Partizan, and opened the door for them to crash the offensive glass. Nine second-chance opportunities later, Dubai’s once-sizzling rhythm cooled and the halftime lead was trimmed to seven.

Then came what felt like a turning point. Partizan opened the third quarter on a 6–0 run, capped by Shake Milton’s free throws for the team’s first and only lead at 47–48. Golemac immediately called timeout, a subtle moment that may end up defining Dubai’s early EuroLeague identity. Out of that timeout, Dubai flipped the switch and never looked back.

A 21–8 run followed, fueled by the Musa–Kabengele two-man game and a deliberate uptick in pace. Musa orchestrated, Kabengele finished, and the defense? Relentless. Dubai’s half-court pressure completely stifled Partizan, who had struggled all game to generate clean looks but now looked entirely out of rhythm.

By the fourth, it was all about maintaining control and Dubai did it like veterans. A 10–2 burst in just over three minutes pushed the lead beyond reach, the only blemish being an unsportsmanlike foul on Prepelic that gifted Bonga two free throws. Obradovic threw in a wild card, enter Aleksej Pokusevski for his first minutes and the gamble paid temporary dividends: back-to-back threes and a flicker of hope as Partizan pressed full-court, mixing man-to-man and 1-2-2 looks to force turnovers. They got as close as ten, but never closer.

Musa’s calm from the line sealed it and when Wright IV splashed a dagger triple with 44 seconds remaining, the story was written: Dubai 87, Partizan 76.

Musa and Kabengele were excellent in their respective roles, one commanding the tempo, the other anchoring both ends, but it was Davis Bertans who swung the game’s geometry. His shooting opened everything up, forcing defensive overreactions and bending the floor in Dubai’s favor. Twenty points, five triples on seven attempts, and four assists, a quintessential Bertans outing.

For Partizan, no one truly stood out, but Shake Milton deserves a quiet nod. Ten points, disciplined shot selection, and the kind of composed play that hints at a higher ceiling once he fully adapts to the Euro rhythm.

Dubai didn’t just win their first EuroLeague game, they announced their philosophy: movement, spacing, and poise. It’s early, but the message is clear. The new kids might not just belong here, they might be here to shake things up.

 

Hapoel’s Offensive Symphony Drowns Out Barcelona in a High-Octane Shootout

If EuroLeague debuts are about setting a tone, Hapoel’s message was loud, fast, and utterly fearless. From the opening tip, this one screamed track meet, both teams dropped 26 in the first quarter, but while the scoring was balanced, the control belonged to Hapoel. Their defensive strategy was deceptively sharp: Oturu’s high hedges blew up Barcelona’s pick-and-roll rhythm, while the backline tagging of Barça’s rolling bigs snuffed out their short-roll flow before it even started.

Micic’s return added another layer of composure. Five early points, smart pace control, and that familiar mix of mobility and vision that turns good possessions into great ones. He was dissecting Barcelona’s collapsing defense, forcing rotations, and making them pay whenever they overcommitted. And then there was Blakeney, coming off the bench like a cheat code nobody else in Europe seems to have. Instant offense, foul-drawing gravity, and the kind of microwave scoring that punishes even momentary lapses.

Barcelona, for their part, weren’t completely out of rhythm early. The threes were falling, enough to disguise their off-ball stagnation and Shengelia’s frustration trying to create with little movement around him. But the cracks were showing, every defensive over-help, every slow tag, every late closeout was being magnified by Hapoel’s crisp decision-making.

The second quarter, though, turned into a red wave. Hapoel opened on a 9–0 run in just two minutes, breaking open the tempo while Barça scrambled to respond by hammering the boards. But it was a losing battle of attrition. Hapoel’s plan to make Kevin Punter uncomfortable worked to perfection, 4-of-12 from the field and rarely in rhythm.

By halftime, Hapoel had 51 points and a rhythm that Barcelona couldn’t match. Barça’s defense kept collapsing to prevent easy rolls or straight-line drives, but Micic’s playmaking sliced through those traps. When the defense pinched in, Hapoel’s shooters punished them. When they stayed home, Micic danced in space.

Clyburn did everything he could to pull Barcelona back. This was vintage Clyburn, aggressive on both ends, hunting mismatches, cutting with purpose instead of standing idle as he sometimes did in his Efes days. But even that level of play couldn’t offset Hapoel’s collective firepower.

Blakeney was the dagger. Not just hitting shots, drawing them. Eleven free-throw attempts, eleven makes, many of them the kind that make defenders question whether to even contest. And defensively, he and Micic weren’t the liabilities skeptics feared, they held up, rotated, competed.

By the end, Barcelona’s hot shooting masked some issues, but Hapoel’s balance, energy, and tactical clarity told the real story. They didn’t just outscore Barça, they out-thought them, out-hustled them, and looked like a team built to make a lot of elite defenses feel the same kind of helpless.

 

Zalgiris Find Their Range and Hand Monaco Another Frustrating Loss

It took just one night in Kaunas for Zalgiris to rewrite their early-season narrative. A team that had been shooting a frigid 25% from deep in domestic play suddenly turned flamethrower. By the second quarter, they were 5-of-8 from three and Monaco looked dazed trying to process how quickly the game had flipped.

The tone was set by Zalgiris’ guards, steady, poised, and surgical. Nigel Williams-Goss orchestrated with the control of a seasoned maestro, his pick-and-roll chemistry with Laurynas Birutis slicing Monaco apart possession after possession. Monaco had no real counter; they couldn’t contain the ball, couldn’t defend the roll, and never found a defensive rhythm.

On the other side, Monaco’s offensive issues felt all too familiar. Their first made three-pointer came in the final minute of the second quarter, a painful déjà vu from last season’s perimeter woes. Worse, their body language told the story: Daniel Theis and Elie Okobo pointing fingers, visible frustration creeping into every miscommunication. The only consistent offense came through Theis’ pick-and-rolls, where his Gortat-style seals freed lanes for the guards, but beyond that, Monaco’s creators, Okobo, Strazel, and company, offered little.

The second half brought a spark, though it came almost entirely from one man. Nikola Mirotic flipped the switch, playing with purpose and urgency. He hunted shots, attacked mismatches, and single-handedly dragged Monaco back within striking distance. For a stretch, he and Theis carried the offense, combining to push Zalgiris onto their heels and into the corners.

But the Lithuanians didn’t panic. This is where experience mattered. The new additions to the roster showed composure that last year’s squad might not have had. The ball kept moving, the open threes kept falling, and Moses Wright’s relentless work on the offensive glass gave Zalgiris the easy points they needed to steady the ship.

In the closing minutes, Monaco’s defense, porous all night, finally cost them. Zalgiris executed, hit their shots, and closed the game with the kind of calm and structure that speaks to a mature team identity forming early in the season.

Zalgiris started hot and finished smarter. For Monaco, the shooting struggles and chemistry cracks remain unresolved, while Zalgiris looked every bit the composed, confident outfit their home crowd expects, one that can win even when the momentum briefly swings the other way.

 

Zalgiris Outlast Fenerbahce in a Tactical Grinder

From the opening tip, Zalgiris made it clear they weren’t just hosting, they were dictating. The Kaunas crowd fed off a deliberate defensive plan: full-court pressure on Fenerbahce’s ball-handlers, not to force turnovers but to throttle tempo. The payoff came quickly. A 9–2 run built on six early points from Nigel Williams-Goss set the tone. When Fenerbahce tried to punish smaller guards by posting up Sylvain Francisco, Zalgiris coolly morphed into a 2–3 zone, a neat little mid-possession shape-shift that threw the Turks off rhythm.

The first quarter was a shootout, but Zalgiris controlled the terms. They hit 8-of-9 from two, while Fener went just 6-of-15. That efficiency gap told the story of a 29–20 lead after ten minutes.

The second quarter flipped the pace entirely. Fenerbahce’s guards, Talen Horton-Tucker and Wade Baldwin IV in particular, started to find seams in Zalgiris’s drop coverage. They attacked the bigs, hit from mid-range, and slowly clawed back. But Fener still had a defensive leak they couldn’t plug: straight-line drives from Zalgiris’s guards to their strong hands. Even with the improved effort, they went into halftime still trailing by six.

Whatever Jasikevicius said in the locker room didn’t stick long enough. Less than a minute into the second half, Zalgiris opened with a 4–0 run, both buckets generated by Francisco collapsing the paint and bending the defense. Saras burned an early timeout. Then came the first major chess move: Melli checked in, and Fener shifted to a smaller, more versatile lineup. Masiulis countered by sliding Wright to the five, but that gambit backfired. Jasikevicius’s guards went straight at Wright in the pick-and-roll, forcing tough switches and exploiting mismatches.

Still, Zalgiris wouldn’t buckle. Francisco and Tubelis caught fire from deep, four threes between them, to stretch the lead to 14, their largest of the game.

But this is Fenerbahce. They don’t go quietly. Three consecutive turnovers from Brazdeikis cracked the door open, and Wade Baldwin IV blew it wide with a “big head mode” scoring surge that trimmed the deficit to five. The game tightened, possession by possession, until the final minute demanded execution over talent.

That’s where Zalgiris blinked less. On a critical possession, Francisco ran a pick-and-pop with Ulanovas. Both Fener defenders chased the Frenchman, forcing a desperate rotation from the weakside corner. Ulanovas swung the ball there instantly, and Arnas Butkevicius buried the corner three to break the tie with 46 seconds left, a classic EuroLeague extra-pass dagger.

Fenerbahce had their chances. Three opportunities to tie, three misses, and only after the third offensive rebound did they finally get two points from Jantunen under the rim. But when it came down to free throws, Williams-Goss was perfect. Two makes, a three-point cushion, and Melli’s final attempt to force overtime rimmed out.

Final: Zalgiris 86, Fenerbahce 83.

Williams-Goss and Francisco combined for 38 points, the dual engines of a balanced, poised Zalgiris attack. Their only blemish: a shaky 18-of-27 as a team from the line, an Achilles heel that nearly spoiled a statement win.

For Fenerbahce, it was the Wade Baldwin show and little else. His 36 points were electric, his aggression relentless, but the lack of secondary scoring and a cold shooting night from 3 (6/21), doomed any comeback hopes. In the end, Zalgiris’s full-court discipline, defensive adaptability, and timely shot-making proved just enough to fend off one of Europe’s giants.

 

Partizan Nearly Let a 16-Point Lead Slip Against Milano in a Nail-Biter

Partizan started this one looking like a team in midseason rhythm. Guards moving seamlessly, spacing disciplined, and Jabari Parker always free to score or create, anyone could shoot, anyone could make a play. Better than their showing against Dubai, this group understood floor spacing and ball movement, building an early 16-point lead that seemed comfortable.

But the familiar structural issues remained. Inside, Partizan’s impact was limited. Tyrique Jones was average on both ends, and Osetowsky provided solid but non-transformative backup. Simply put, they need a center who can do more than grab three rebounds in 20 minutes to complement their perimeter firepower.

Milano, by contrast, spent most of the first half in stagnation. Ball movement was minimal, and the offense flowed only when Shields ran Spanish pick-and-rolls. Still, hot shooting, 6-of-9 from three, kept them alive despite a sluggish start.

The third quarter saw Partizan extend the lead to 18, but then Milano turned up the aggression. They attacked on both ends, while Partizan eased off just enough to allow Guduric and Shields to heat up from deep. Suddenly, the gap shrank, tension grew, and the game teetered.

The finish was dramatic: Guduric had the last shot to snatch victory for Milano, a near miss that left Partizan with relief instead of a clean slate. The scare left a small stain on a game that had otherwise been dominated by their perimeter excellence.

In the end, both teams had reasons to feel hard done by. Milano worked harder in the second half, but in the EuroLeague, it’s not enough to play 20 minutes well, you need to sustain it. Partizan showed the talent and spacing to control games, but the inside deficiency and lapses in focus remind everyone why closing out a 16-point lead is rarely automatic at this level.

 

Real Madrid Grind Out a Key Win Over Olympiacos

Real Madrid survived an early storm from Olympiacos, a game that began with Kevin Dorsey rediscovering his EuroBasket form. The Olympiacos wing was electric, dropping 16 early points and pairing his scoring with Fournier’s perimeter shooting. Ball movement was crisp, and the early lead felt fully deserved.

Enter Real’s adjustment. Kramer was tasked with containing Dorsey, and as the doubles came, space opened up for others to shoot. The second unit, more athletic, mobile, and versatile, entered with Bruno as a switchable big, capable of attacking mismatches. Okeke and Kramer pushed the tempo and attacked gaps aggressively, and suddenly Olympiacos was uncomfortable, their early rhythm disrupted.

That said, size across the board remains a concern for Olympiacos. At times, Madrid ran Feliz, Hezonija, Abalde, Lyles and Tavares together, five wings and versatile forwards, while Olympiacos countered with three guards and Sasha at the four. That mismatch potential could haunt them long term.

Real exploited these mismatches brilliantly. Henzoja hunted the paint with aggression, and Madrid’s ball movement became a weapon. Set plays for Kramer, ghost screens, staggered actions, side switches, freed him for open looks and kept the defense scrambling.

Campazzo orchestrated like a true point guard: 0 turnovers in a team that has historically struggled with ball security. The combination of smarter play and increased shot quality led to Real shooting 10-of-24 from three, a significant upgrade over last season. The reason? They were searching for the right shots, moving the ball to create rhythm rather than forcing bad looks.

In the end, Madrid’s depth, movement, and tactical patience allowed them to weather Olympiacos’ early surge, neutralize Dorsey, and pull away without letting turnovers dictate the story. It was a blueprint in adjustment, spacing, and execution that shows why they remain a EuroLeague contender.

 

 

Key Performances of the Past Week:

Andreas Obst: A Masterclass in Shooting Against Crvena Zvezda

Andreas Obst’s 31-point explosion against Crvena Zvezda isn’t just a stat line, it’s a statement. A guard who spends most of his time off the ball, Obst has an almost gravitational pull that manipulates defenses, creating space not just for himself but for teammates. Against the Serbians, that gravity was on full display: 9-of-16 from three, each shot a mix of precision, timing, and intelligence.

The beauty of his game lies in its variety. Three of those threes came after off-ball screens, where his speed off the pick and quick footwork into shooting motion made him virtually unguardable. Another three were open spot-up opportunities, letting him get those looks is akin to inviting a flamethrower to light the paint. He even nailed PnR threes, demonstrating the ability to pull up off the dribble efficiently, a skill that doesn’t require wizardry, just smart footwork and quick release.

The final three? A handoff three, exploiting a defense that chose to go under on the hottest shooter in Bavaria. Every shot was a lesson in spacing, timing, and reading the defense. Watching Obst operate is watching a virtuoso at work: as effortless as a Van Gogh painting, as cinematic as a Spielberg film, as stirring as a Beethoven symphony. It’s not just shooting, it’s artistry, and it’s breathtaking.

In short, Obst didn’t just score; he orchestrated, punished defensive errors, and reminded everyone that elite shooting is as much about intelligence and timing as pure mechanics. Against Crvena Zvezda, he didn’t just play basketball, he composed it.

 

Facundo Campazzo: Calm, Controlled and Turning the Corner

Facundo Campazzo has long been a fascinating player to watch, brilliant, aggressive, but often turnover-prone. Under Chus Mateo, the deck was stacked against him: he had to create for the majority of the team, and the set plays rarely facilitated his strengths. The result was a lot of forced passes, risky drives, and unnecessary mistakes.

But the last two games? A different story. Only two turnovers combined, and a noticeable shift in decision-making. Campazzo has been calmer, more collected, and consistently making the right plays, even under pressure and with the referees in the mix. He’s not just managing possessions; he’s managing the game, choosing when to push, when to pass, and when to let the offense flow naturally.

It’s a subtle evolution, but an important one. When Campazzo is in this mode, disciplined, intelligent, and composed, Real Madrid’s offense feels sharper, more efficient, and far less dependent on heroics. For a player who thrives on creativity, learning to balance brilliance with control is exactly the kind of development that turns a great player into a truly elite one.

 

Standings Watch:

Zalgiris Leading the Early Pack, Crvena Zvezda Struggles Inside

Zalgiris has started the EuroLeague schedule like a team on a mission. Facing two Final Four contenders, last season’s finalists Monaco and Fenerbahce, they emerged victorious in both games and are now one of just three teams with a perfect 2-0 record, alongside Hapoel and Valencia. The Kaunas crew has been scorching from deep, shooting 43.5% from three, an eye-popping 11.5% above the league average through four games. Whether that efficiency is sustainable remains to be seen, but it’s been a key differentiator.

Equally impressive has been their late-game execution. With three elite point guards orchestrating the offense, Zalgiris has shown poise in crunch time. Nigel Williams-Goss, in particular, deserves a huge shoutout for his combination of calm, playmaking, and scoring in pressure moments, he’s been near flawless so far.

Meanwhile, Crvena Zvezda has shown cracks despite Nwora playing at a spectacular level reminiscent of Michael Jordan. The glaring issue? Size and interior support. Izundo, while active, commits too many defensive errors, and beyond him there’s little help inside. Ojeley has even been forced to play the five at times, never ideal. Screens aren’t being set effectively, and Izundo’s habit of switching every pick exacerbates the problem. When you’re short-handed in the center position, exposing your big on the perimeter is a dangerous gamble, and so far it’s been costly.

Early returns suggest that while Zalgiris is blending firepower, experience, and execution into wins, Crvena Zvezda’s lack of interior stability could define their season unless adjustments come quickly.

 

Games to Watch – Round 3:

Baskonia vs Panathinaikos: A EuroLeague Offensive Showcase in the Making

If you’re an offense junkie, this is the kind of game that makes your jaw drop. Baskonia, despite an 0-2 start, leads the EuroLeague in points per game. Scoring isn’t the problem here. Fast pace, unselfish ball movement, and a willingness to push every possession define the Basque identity. For fans, it’s a reunion with a team that wants to delight at every opportunity, but defense will need major upgrades if Baskonia wants to turn high-octane offense into wins.

Panathinaikos, on the other hand, offers elite offensive depth. They have two MVP-level guards in Nunn and Shorts, though the latter is still finding his rhythm with this squad. Cedi Osman and Juancho Hernangómez provide complementary firepower capable of swinging games, while Holmes, Lessort, and Yurtseven form arguably the EuroLeague’s strongest trio of centers.

When these two meet, expect pace, spacing, and constant movement. If you like offense and tempo, this is a must-watch game, high scoring, high stakes, and a chance to see some of Europe’s best creators and finishers go head-to-head. Defense? Maybe secondary. Entertainment? Guaranteed.

 

Partizan vs Efes: A High-Octane Guard Duel on the Horizon

When two heavy guard teams meet, sparks are guaranteed and Partizan vs Efes looks like it could be a scoring bonanza. Both squads have backcourts loaded with creators who can shoot, drive, and punish defensive lapses, so expect the pace to be fast and the points to pile up.

The key factor will likely be the battle on the glass. Partizan’s ability to control rebounds and limit second-chance opportunities could dictate how much Efes’ offensive firepower translates into scoreboard dominance. On paper, Efes still holds the edge in both depth and defensive cohesion, but if Partizan manages the boards and keeps their guards executing, they can make this a very tight, high-scoring contest.

In short: guard play sets the tempo, Efes sets the ceiling, but glass control may decide who comes out on top.

 

Barcelona vs Valencia: Spanish Clash in a Rematch

This isn’t just another game, it’s a rematch of the weekend’s Liga Endesa clash, with plenty on the line. Valencia comes in unbeaten in EuroLeague play, looking to pull off a 2-0 sweep over Barcelona in just five days. Meanwhile, the Catalans are aiming to avenge their domestic loss and carry forward the momentum from their recent win against Panathinaikos.

One key battle stands out: the offensive glass. Both teams rank at the very top of the EuroLeague in OReb%, and whoever dominates this area could very well dictate the outcome. Second-chance opportunities will be precious, and controlling the boards could create the extra possessions necessary to swing a tightly contested game.

Expect a fast, physical matchup with high stakes, momentum, morale, and mastery of the glass will likely determine which side emerges victorious in this Spanish showdown.

 

Olympiacos vs Dubai BC: Size, Switching, and a Clash of Mismatches

Olympiacos has shown so far that they aren’t elite in any single facet of the game. Dorsey and Fournier can mask some deficiencies with scoring and movement, but against a team like Dubai BC, those cracks could be exposed.

Dubai brings a tall, versatile lineup stretching from shooting guard to center, reminiscent of Madrid’s length and switching schemes. Davis Bertans has the potential to punish Sasha Vezenkov off the ball, while Musa can probe switches and create mismatches. Kabengele can slide onto Donta, though Milutinov presents a bigger challenge, but Dubai has multiple options to adjust.

In the end, expect a tactical chess match with switching, size advantages, and matchup adjustments at the forefront. It should be close, but with their depth, length and versatility, even without Avramovic, Dubai BC looks slightly favored to come out on top.

 

What’s at Stake:

Crvena Zvezda’s Playoff Push Faces Early Hurdles

Crvena Zvezda came into the season with high ambitions, signing key pieces to solidify a playoff berth. But an 0-2 start and a looming trip to the defending champions’ house have put the Red and Whites in a precarious position.

Injuries have only compounded the issues. Canaan tore his ACL before the season even began, and former NBA guard Devonte Graham has yet to make his debut, leaving the team light on creation in the backcourt. Yago dos Santos’ return should help, but it remains to be seen how quickly he can integrate and stabilize their guard play.

The frontcourt has its own set of problems. Rivero’s injury deepens the void at center, and mismatches inside have been exposed. On the defensive end, the numbers are grim: 137 Defensive Rating through just two games, a glaring vulnerability that undermines any offensive output.

Time is already ticking. The longer Zvezda delays addressing these holes, guard creation, interior defense, and overall defensive cohesion, the steeper the climb will become. This week may provide the first real chance to start turning the tide, but the clock is unforgiving, and early mistakes could define their playoff hopes.

 

Olympiacos Struggling Without a True Offensive Guard

Olympiacos has shown flashes, but one thing is clear: they’re missing a legitimate offensive guard. Ntiliktina helps, he’s better offensively than Walkup, but he’s not enough to carry playmaking and scoring responsibilities in crunch moments.

The gap is particularly visible against Spanish teams. In the closing stretches, the absence of a guard who can both create and score became glaring, leaving Olympiacos predictable and easier to defend. Until they address this, their offensive ceiling is capped, and late-game execution will remain a recurring challenge.

 

 

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Montiejunas Joins Crvena Zvezda, Impact and Concerns

Crvena Zvezda made a notable addition this offseason, bringing in Donatas Montiejunas. On paper, he fills a clear void: a center who can match up against anyone, hold his ground in the post, and set effective screens. For a team that has struggled inside, Montiejunas immediately upgrades their interior versatility and offers a better option than what was previously available.

Comparisons to Rivero are favorable, yes, Domantas is the more skilled, assertive center, so that’s a tangible win for Crvena Zvezda. He’s not a vertical rim protector, but with Inzudo covering that role, Montiejunas’ profile complements the roster well. He brings upside as a post-up option and can improve their pick-and-roll execution, at least on the roll.

Concerns remain. His recent injury history raises questions about consistency and availability. Defensively, he doesn’t offer elite pick-and-roll coverage beyond drop coverage, which could leave Crvena Zvezda exposed against elite guards.

Overall, though, Montiejunas represents a meaningful upgrade inside and gives Crvena Zvezda a tool to stabilize both offense and spacing. If he stays healthy, he could be the missing puzzle piece to shore up their interior and help them compete at a higher level.

 

Nico Laprovittola Out Three Weeks, A Big Blow for Barcelona

FC Barcelona will feel the absence of Nico Laprovittola acutely over the next three weeks. The Argentine guard brings a combination of scoring and playmaking that the Catalan backcourt desperately relies on, especially in moments when the offense needs rhythm or a decisive push.

So far this season, Laprovittola has averaged 10 points and 6 assists in just over 17 minutes per game, production that won’t be easy to replicate with other rotation pieces. His absence could lead to stalls in the offense, particularly in tight, high-leverage situations where his quickness, vision, and shot creation make a difference.

For Barcelona, this is more than just missing a scorer, it’s losing a dynamic playmaker who helps orchestrate the floor, maintain pace, and unlock teammates. How the team adjusts in these three weeks could define their early EuroLeague trajectory.

 

This article was written by the European Hoops team: Tiago Cordeiro, João Caeiro, Diogo Valente and André Lemos. Make sure you give us a follow on Twitter at @EthosEuroleague!