The Game of week 22:

Valencia vs Zalgiris

Inside Roig Arena, Valencia and Zalgiris delivered the kind of clash you expect when two of the most entertaining teams in the competition meet. Tempo against control. Fluid offense against methodical execution. For stretches, it felt like two different basketball philosophies sharing the same floor.

The only early surprise came from Zalgiris, with Sylvain Francisco coming off the bench. Everything else followed familiar patterns. Valencia sprinted into the game at a breathtaking pace while Zalgiris tried to slow the rhythm to a crawl. On the first three possessions alone, the Lithuanians dragged the shot clock under five seconds, forcing Valencia to defend full possessions.

It worked for a moment, but then Darius Thompson drilled two threes and the gap opened quickly, growing to nine by the first media timeout.

Without Birutis available, Tomas Masiulis went small with Tubelis at the five and Ulanovas at the four. The adjustment did not shift the balance much. Valencia consistently forced Zalgiris into rotations and attacked closeouts. Omari Moore thrived in those situations, slicing into space created by the defensive scramble.

Zalgiris never really found a rhythm in the opening quarter. Three turnovers. Cold shooting at 5 of 14 from the field. Just 13 points in the period. The Valencia bench alone produced 15, helping the hosts build a 25 point first quarter.

The second quarter flipped the tone. Zalgiris opened with a quick 6 0 run in under two minutes, capitalizing on two Valencia turnovers and forcing Pedro Martinez to call time. When play resumed, Sako reentered and immediately influenced the game with Gortat screens that opened driving lanes for the guards. Valencia answered with an 8 4 push that forced Masiulis to regroup.

Against the Zalgiris switching scheme, Valencia attacked from different angles than usual but with the same elite results. Instead of relying strictly on perimeter creation, they began posting up bigger wings like Taylor and leaned on Pradilla at the four, targeting Francisco and Maodo Lo. With the center stretching the floor, those mismatches created high quality looks.

Zalgiris struggled more in the half court. Their offense looked better in transition, but with Francisco quiet at just three points in the half, the visitors trailed by 11 at the break.

Out of halftime, adjustments arrived quickly. Zalgiris abandoned the switching coverage on side pick and rolls and began icing the action instead. Offensively, they simplified everything. An empty side pick and roll flowed into a middle pick and roll over and over again. The result was a 17 8 run across the first five minutes of the third quarter, slicing the Valencia lead down to two and forcing another timeout.

The pause steadied the hosts. Valencia rediscovered its offensive rhythm by attacking once the defense rotated, pushing the score to 71 64 entering the final period. Still, warning signs appeared. The three turnovers in the third matched the entire first half.

Zalgiris, meanwhile, played a near perfect quarter from a control standpoint. Zero turnovers and nine assists kept them within striking distance.

The fourth opened with both teams trading baskets until Valencia produced one of those bursts that define their style. A 5 0 run in five seconds flat. Taylor hit a three. Sako followed with a dunk. Suddenly the lead was back to double digits and Masiulis needed another timeout.

Zalgiris refused to fold. Sleva, who had already knocked down a few timely threes, hit another to spark a rally. Moses Wright kept attacking and living at the free throw line. The run peaked when Francisco buried a deep three that tied the game at 87 with 56 seconds left.

And then the offense stopped.

Valencia’s response was simple. Badio created space for a tough mid range jumper. Zalgiris came up empty on the next possession. Jean Montero calmly walked to the line and closed the door. Final score, 91 87.

Valencia survived a tense finish despite scoring just six points over the final five minutes and thirty four seconds. Omari Moore led the way with 16 points, supported by three teammates in double figures. Badio and Taylor deserve special mention for their defensive work, holding Francisco to an off night with nine points on 1 of 9 shooting and three turnovers.

For Zalgiris, Moses Wright produced a strong performance with 20 points and nine rebounds. Sleva added 14 points and Brazdeikis chipped in 13.

In the end, Valencia’s ability to exploit rotations and create advantages just enough times proved decisive. In a game defined by adjustments and momentum swings, the Taronja found the final answer.

Olympiacos vs Panathinaikos

The Greek derby opened with the home team looking composed and organized on both sides of the floor. With Sasha unavailable, Alec Peters stepped into the spotlight and took on the responsibility of filling the gap left by the former MVP.

Panathinaikos actually landed the first punch, but it did not take long for Olympiacos to flip the momentum. Two early threes gave the Reds the lead and, more importantly, allowed their defense to dictate the rhythm of the game. From that point on, Panathinaikos’ offense looked unprepared to deal with the defensive pressure.

Frank Ntilikina spent long stretches on Kendrick Nunn, while Nikola Milutinov handled the blitz coverage well early on. Even when Panathinaikos beat the first line of defense off the dribble, Olympiacos stayed extremely disciplined. Help came on time. Rotations followed immediately. The chain never broke. The result was a first quarter in which the Greens could only muster 13 points.

Olympiacos did not fully capitalize on the small ball look with Mitoglou at center for the greens. In the final three minutes of the opening quarter they rushed several possessions, leaving points on the table and finishing the period just under the 20 point mark. Still, the defensive tone had been established.

Nunn, meanwhile, looked completely out of rhythm. Too many mistakes, no scoring in the first ten minutes, and Panathinaikos struggled to find any consistent creator.

Early in the second quarter Olympiacos pushed the lead to 16. Their ball movement improved compared with the latter stretch of the first quarter and Panathinaikos had no real answer. For a derby with so much at stake, the Greens looked passive.

Turnovers began to pile up. Olympiacos forced them and punished them, finishing the half with 17 points off turnovers compared with just nine for Panathinaikos. Even more telling, the Greens went the first 20 minutes without a single trip to the free throw line. That stat alone tells the story of their lack of aggressiveness attacking the basket.

By halftime Olympiacos held an 11 point lead and full control of the game’s tempo.

The third quarter flipped the script. Olympiacos’ defense lost some of its early sharpness and fatigue began to show for Milutinov, who struggled to keep up with the switching and blitzing responsibilities. Panathinaikos took advantage by raising its intensity on both ends.

Defensively the Greens started picking up the Olympiacos point guard near the free throw line and pressed whenever possible. The goal was simple. Create chaos and run. Their half court offense had stalled in the first half, so they leaned into transition opportunities created by steals.

Offensively Panathinaikos became the aggressor. Nunn finally looked like Nunn, attacking downhill and drawing defensive attention. With guards collapsing the defense, the wings found open looks and knocked down four threes in the quarter. Just as important, they committed only two turnovers in the entire period.

Suddenly the game tightened. Entering the fourth quarter, Panathinaikos trailed by only two.

The final quarter acted as a reset for Olympiacos. The defensive intensity returned to the level seen in the first half. Tyler Dorsey eventually fouled out, but his minutes helped stabilize the offense when it needed direction. Evan Fournier delivered timely contributions as well.

On defense, the focus returned to containing Nunn, cutting off the same driving lanes that had opened in the third quarter.

Olympiacos also embodied its next man up philosophy throughout the night. Shaq McKissic stepped forward with energy, hustle and production on both ends, giving the Reds valuable minutes in key stretches.

For Panathinaikos, the issue remained control. Outside of Nunn’s surge in the third quarter, their guards never truly dictated the game the way they needed to.

The numbers underline the difference. The Olympiacos bench outscored the Panathinaikos bench by 16 points. Combine that with the advantage in points off turnovers and the equation becomes clear.

In a derby defined by defense, discipline and depth, Olympiacos found just enough of everything to walk away with the win.

Key Performances of the Past Week:

Leandro Bolmaro vs FC Barcelona

In Milano, one of the world’s fashion capital, the standout performance of the night did not come with flash or runway flair. It looked more like workwear. Functional. Tough. Built for the grind. That description fits Leandro Bolmaro’s night against FC Barcelona perfectly.

The box score gives you a solid outline. Thirteen points on 5 of 8 shooting. Four rebounds. Six assists. At times he even operated as the de facto point guard, initiating offense and organizing possessions. That alone would qualify as a strong outing.

But that stat line only tells part of the story.

Bolmaro’s biggest imprint came on the defensive side, where he spent the night hounding Kevin Punter from baseline to baseline. Ninety four feet of pressure. Constant contact. No easy catches. No rhythm.

The result was one of the quietest nights you will see from one of Europe’s most dynamic scorers. Punter finished with just seven points, shooting 2 of 6 from two point range and 1 of 5 from deep, while committing three turnovers along the way. Every possession felt like work.

That is the part of Bolmaro’s performance that jumps off the film more than the stat sheet. His activity, his willingness to chase and disrupt, and his ability to stay disciplined through actions turned one of Barcelona’s main weapons into a non factor for long stretches.

It is not the kind of stat line that lands a player on the red carpet. There were no fireworks numbers or viral highlights.

But it was the type of all around, high impact performance that basketball people everywhere appreciate. And the type of performance that quietly swings games.

Braian Angola vs Efes

Replacing Nando De Colo is not exactly a light assignment. That is the context Braian Angola walked into when he arrived at ASVEL. Big shoes, big expectations, and a fan base that needed something to get excited about.

Against Efes, Angola delivered the type of performance that explains why the team brought him in.

He poured in 26 points in 31 minutes, scoring from everywhere on the floor. Angola is a dynamic scorer who can get his points in multiple ways. Pull ups, drives, quick actions where he attacks the defense before it can settle. When he gets going, the variety in his scoring package becomes very hard to contain.

The stat sheet tells you he is mostly there to put the ball in the basket. Angola does not contribute as much in other areas, but that has not stopped him from becoming a lifesaver for ASVEL fans who have been looking for reasons to enjoy some good basketball again.

Since joining the team he has done one thing consistently. Get buckets.

In a brief seven game stint he is averaging 17.6 points per game with respectable efficiency, along with four rebounds and almost four assists per night. That production in such a short sample has quickly made him one of the most important pieces in ASVEL’s current rotation.

It is still early, but performances like the one against Efes make one thing clear. Braian Angola is a player worth keeping an eye on going into next season.

 

Standings Watch:

AS Monaco and Panathinaikos are skating on thin ice.

After losses this week, the two teams that currently hold the final Play In spots suddenly feel the pressure from below. Both sit just one win ahead of Dubai and Milano, and the situation becomes even more delicate when you factor in that Dubai still has one game in hand. If Dubai wins that game, they will tie Panathinaikos for the final Play In position. That possibility alone turns every upcoming game into a high tension affair.

Panathinaikos in particular looks vulnerable right now. Their form has been shaky not only in EuroLeague play but also domestically. They lost again in the Greek League last weekend by two points, and the overall feeling around the team is far from comfortable. Results in Europe have followed a similar pattern, making the current standings race something everyone should monitor closely.

Monaco’s situation adds another layer of intrigue. Their struggles have not been limited to the court, with the ongoing drama around the club still hovering over the season. When a team already fighting for position has distractions off the floor, the margin for error becomes even smaller.

At the top of the table things remain stable for now. Fenerbahçe continues to lead the league, followed by Valencia and Olympiacos. Real Madrid currently holds the final home court advantage spot, sitting two wins clear of the fifth place team.

The middle of the standings, however, is anything but stable. One win can lift a team into safety. One loss can pull them straight into the chaos. Right now Monaco, Panathinaikos, Dubai and Milano are right in the middle of that storm.

 

Games to Watch Week 23:

Panathinaikos vs Zalgiris

Panathinaikos has one of the deepest and most talented rosters in the EuroLeague. On paper, it looks like a group that should sit comfortably near the top of the standings. The reality is very different. The Greens are currently in 10th place and playing with virtually no margin of error.

The recent form explains why. Over the last ten games Panathinaikos has managed only four wins. Some of those defeats came during the absence of Kendrick Nunn, which certainly did not help. Still, the former MVP returned for major matchups against Olympiacos and Fenerbahçe, delivered solid individual performances, and the team still came away with losses.

The roster is now even deeper with the addition of Nigel Hayes Davis. His presence gives Panathinaikos another offensive weapon and adds a very solid defender to the rotation. He is the type of player who can be plugged directly into almost any system and contribute immediately.

Even so, adjustments are inevitable. The guards will need time to adapt to his presence, especially when it comes to sharing touches and playing with the possibility of less time with the ball in their hands.

And time is exactly what Panathinaikos does not have.

There are only eight games left in the regular season. That leaves a very small window to find rhythm, stabilize the rotation and rediscover consistency. The question now is simple but heavy. Can the Greens find their groove again before the clock runs out, or are we heading toward one of the most shocking endings to a EuroLeague season in recent memory?

 

Biggest News Around EuroLeague

Could PAOK be heading toward the EuroLeague in the near future? Some reports suggest that possibility, particularly with the uncertainty surrounding the future of the French clubs ASVEL and AS Monaco in the competition.

The Greek club recently made a bold and intriguing move by signing Andreas Trinchieri to a three year deal. Trinchieri brings a strong résumé built across both EuroLeague and EuroCup. His trophy cabinet includes the EuroCup Coach of the Year award from 2014, and he has consistently led competitive teams at the European level.

On the court, PAOK is currently sitting fourth in the Greek League. At the same time, they are competing in the FIBA Europe Cup, the fourth tier of European competitions, where they have reached the Quarter Finals and will face fellow Greek side Peristeri BC.

A potential jump to the EuroLeague would almost certainly require a major transformation of the roster to give the team a realistic chance to compete. That type of overhaul might not be difficult now that the club has a new owner. Greek billionaire Aristotelis Mistakidis has arrived with the promise of revitalizing PAOK’s basketball project.

For now, it remains a developing situation. But with a respected coach in place and new financial backing behind the scenes, this is a storyline worth monitoring closely over the coming months.

 

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 Game of week 21:

Paris vs Panathinaikos

This one opened at full throttle. Paris, as usual, was the main driver of the tempo, but Panathinaikos did not blink. They ran with them. The first quarter turned into a shot making contest, Paris lighting it up from deep, six of ten from three, while the Greens managed two of six. Beyond the arc, both offenses were sharp. Panathinaikos leaned inside, exploiting real advantages in the paint through Holmes, and for stretches that balance kept them afloat.

Nigel Hayes Davis made his debut in green, starting at the four alongside Cedi Osman at the three. Paris pressed full court, trying to speed up the decision making of the Greek guards, but they stayed poised. Turnovers were low. Execution was solid. The difference was shot profile.

Paris found a groove in the pick and roll, repeatedly hitting Dokossi as the roller. Six quick points came almost exclusively from that action, and just like that the lead ballooned to ten. Panathinaikos adjusted, switching instead of blitzing the coverage, but the damage had been done. By halftime, Paris was up 13, shooting the lights out at 10 of 22 from three.

The script held in the second half. Paris kept doing Paris things. The defense was good enough in spurts, forcing Panathinaikos to grind for every touch. Then Rogkavopoulos flipped the energy. Two forced turnovers, a quick swing, and the deficit was down to eight. Momentum teased a shift. Paris answered the only way they know how, from behind the arc again.

In the fourth, the lead stretched further, fueled in part by Panathinaikos failing to run back in transition, a dangerous habit against the fastest team in the league. Offensively, the Greens relied heavily on individual talent. The fit with Hayes Davis looked clunky for most of the night, until the final five minutes. That is when he turned aggressive, hunting shots, scoring almost 13 straight points to cut the margin to four.

Paris began to look tight, committing too many offensive mistakes. Rogkavopoulos drilled a three with 40 seconds left to trim the lead to two. Tension everywhere. Ataman was ejected. A foul sent Paris to the line, and that was effectively the end.

In the end, pace and shooting carried the day. Paris’ ability to stretch the floor and play fast proved too much. Still, that late surge from Hayes Davis leaves a trace of optimism. For Panathinaikos, it might be a glimpse that the best is yet to come.

 

Key Performances of the Past Week:

Talen Horton-Tucker vs Partizan

Once a promising Lakers prospect, now thriving in Turkish lands, Talen Horton-Tucker looks like a player who believes the stage belongs to him. Against Partizan he delivered 29 points on a blistering 10 of 12 from the field, and in a tight game he was clearly the best player on the court when it mattered most.

The scoring jumps off the page, but the rest of the box score fills up quickly too. Horton-Tucker has that rare build that feels almost unfair at this level. Too strong for most guards, too explosive for many forwards, he lives in the paint and lives at the line. The amount of fouls he draws is not an accident, it is a byproduct of pressure. Constant, downhill pressure.

This is the kind of performance that makes you wonder about ceilings. MVP chatter may sound ambitious, but nights like this are how those conversations begin. When the game tightened, he did not. He closed it.

Paris Backcourt vs Panathinaikos

Sometimes dominance does not scream at you from the points column. Nadir Hifi, Rodions Rhoden and Justin Robinson combined for 43 points against Panathinaikos. On the surface, that might not seem outrageous. Dig a little deeper.

They handed out 16 assists. They committed just five turnovers. That is control. That is orchestration.

Those three bent the defense over and over again. Drives that collapsed the paint. Kicks that found shooters. Secondary actions that turned small advantages into clean looks. They created opportunities beyond their own scoring, and they appeared exactly when Paris needed them most.

Defensively, they held up well enough to keep the structure intact. Offensively, they were the engine. Not just buckets, but decisions. Not just highlights, but command.

 

Standings Watch:

Does anyone remember Crvena Zvezda struggling? It feels like a different season.

Not long ago, there were whispers that their run was over. Some bad mouths, us included, wondered if the hole had grown too deep. Fast forward to now and the picture looks very different. Zvezda has won six of its last eight games, and the climb back into relevance has been powered by an offense that has ranged from good to flat-out elite on certain nights.

The two losses in that stretch came against Olympiacos and Maccabi, and even in those games they competed until the final possessions. There is no sense of folding. No sense of drift.

The biggest shift shows up in the flow. The ball is moving again. The offense feels more fluid, less sticky. Decisions are quicker, advantages are shared, and the result is a unit that looks connected. The defense has been somewhat better, not dominant but sturdier, enough to give the offense room to breathe.

This is what late-season traction looks like. A team left for dead finding rhythm, finding belief, and suddenly becoming a problem in the standings.

 

Games to Watch Week 22:

Olympiacos vs Panathinaikos

This one needs no marketing campaign. Greek derby. Same city that will host this season’s Final Four. Everything else is background noise.

In EuroLeague play, the recent trend has leaned red. The last five meetings have all gone Olympiacos’ way. That matters. Patterns matter. Especially in rivalries where every possession feels heavier than usual.

Panathinaikos comes in walking a tightrope. Three straight losses. The two wins before that came by a single point each. Their margin of error is paper thin right now. Every defensive lapse, every empty trip, it all compounds. On the bright side, the Greens did take the last matchup in the Greek Cup Final, so there is at least recent proof that they can land a punch.

Injuries will shape the chessboard. Olympiacos will be without Milutinov, and that absence shifts the interior equation. Rebounding, rim presence, second chances. Those details add up quickly in a derby.

And then there is the Nigel Hayes Davis factor. We have not seen him in this matchup wearing a Panathinaikos jersey. That alone introduces intrigue. On paper, he looks like one of the more natural options to match up with Sasha on both ends, someone who can absorb the physicality defensively and test him the other way.

Form says one thing. Rivalry says another. Add injuries, recent momentum swings, and a new piece stepping into the spotlight, and uncertainty becomes the headline.

 

Biggest News Around EuroLeague

McKinley Wright IV has his fingerprints all over Dubai Basketball’s perfect February.

Four games. Four wins. One MVP of the Month award.

Wright averaged 14 points and 5.5 assists, posting an 18.8 PIR while steering the ship with efficiency and control. The scoring came within the flow. Sixty four percent inside the arc. Sixty six point seven percent from three. Those are video game splits for a lead guard operating against high level EuroLeague defenses. Add a +14.4 average plus minus and you start to see the full picture. He was not just producing. He was tilting games.

Dubai’s 4-0 run was not built on soft landings. They took down Olympiacos in overtime 108-98. They beat Real Madrid 93-85. They went on the road and handled EA7 Emporio Armani Milan 96-78. They closed the month with a 96-85 win over LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne. That is a heavyweight stretch, and Wright was the constant through it all.

What stands out is the control. The limited mistakes. The sense that the tempo bent to his will. He scored when necessary, created when the defense shifted, and never let the game speed him up.

The standings reflect it. Dubai climbed to 11th at 15-14, just one win behind AS Monaco and Panathinaikos in the playoff chase. February did not just bring an individual award. It injected real belief into a team that now sees the postseason within reach.

 

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 Game of week 20:

FC Barcelona vs Paris BC

Barcelona and Paris, two beautiful European cities, two elite basketball teams, and a game that felt important from the opening tip. The Catalans entered shorthanded, missing leading scorer Kevin Punter and veteran Czech guard Tomas Satoransky. That absence shaped everything that followed.

Paris came out as Paris always does. Full court pressure, aggressive hedges on every pick and roll, pace turned up to uncomfortable levels. It worked immediately. Barcelona’s offense stalled and the visitors opened on a 7 2 run. Soon it was 11 5 with just over six minutes left in the first, and Xavi Pascual had seen enough.

The timeout flipped the rhythm. Barcelona ripped off a 7 0 run in under a minute, powered by Brizuela and Laprovittola creating advantages off the dribble. But Paris had counters. Lamar Stevens checked in and made his presence felt on both ends, helping Paris regain control. Barcelona tried to stabilize things by doubling down on the inside game, feeding the post and playing off their bigs, but miscommunication on screening actions, especially guard to guard screens, kept undoing their work. Paris got downhill repeatedly, shot 8 of 10 from two, and closed the first quarter up 21 18.

The second quarter followed a familiar script. Paris continued to slice through Barcelona’s pick and roll coverages with their PnR and DHO game. The margin held steady until Pascual reached into his bag and unveiled a 2 3 zone. That adjustment changed the tone. It slowed Paris’ frenetic tempo, forced tougher looks, and sparked stops. Combine that with relentless work on the offensive glass, eight offensive rebounds in the half, and Barcelona walked into the locker room up 43 39.

Out of halftime, Paris doubled down on identity. Faster, sharper, attacking not just in transition but in the half court as well. Barcelona kept searching for answers in the post, especially through Shengelia, but Paris zoned up the back side and crowded his space. Then the threes started falling. Paris went 7 of 9 from deep in the third, Robinson burying the final one to stretch the lead to 12. Barcelona managed just 12 points in the quarter, with only Brizuela consistently creating anything clean.

Pascual experimented at the five, even opening with Shengelia there, but the defensive problems persisted. Pick and roll coverage broke down, straight line drives were conceded, and offensively Barcelona leaned too heavily on the three point line with little reward. Only after back to back Paris turnovers did the Blaugrana string together a 7 0 run to cut it to 10, forcing Francesco Tabellini to call timeout. That pause settled Paris, and from there they controlled the finish.

The numbers underline the difference. Barcelona shot just 5 of 32 from three. Paris hit 11 of 30. In a game this tight, that gap is decisive.

Darius Brizuela led Barcelona with 15, Laprovittola and Shengelia added 11 apiece. Will Clyburn struggled, scoring nine on 1 of 9 shooting, and in the absence of Punter, more was needed. For Paris, the point guard duo dictated terms. Nadir Hifi poured in 21, Justin Robinson added 18, and Rhoden and Lamar Stevens joined them in double figures.

On a night shaped by pace and pressure, Paris stayed truer to itself for longer, and that was enough to leave the Ciutat Comtal with a statement win.

Key Performances of the Past Week:

Tarik Biberovic vs Panathinaikos

Panathinaikos against Fenerbahçe delivered drama from start to finish. Wade Baldwin IV will live in the highlights after the buzzer beater, but the player who truly bent the game was Tarik Biberovic.

Before the ball went up, the Turkish forward downplayed the importance of Nigel Hayes Davis. Then he walked onto the floor and backed it up. Career high 26 points, four rebounds, just three missed shots all night. That is not noise. That is command.

Biberovic brought the flame thrower to OAKA. Six of seven from deep, and not just stand still looks. He scored on simple relocation threes, on elite off ball movement that punished the smallest defensive lapse, and even sprinkled in some self creation. When Panathinaikos tried to chase him off the line, he did not panic. He put the ball on the floor, got to his sweet spots, especially in the mid range, and calmly knocked those down too.

This was not a hot shooting night built on luck. It was a scoring clinic built on reads and counters. Every adjustment had an answer. Every closeout felt a step late.

When Fenerbahçe fans felt heartbroken by Nigel Hayes Davis’ decision, Tarik Biberovic stepped forward. Superman cape on, no hesitation.

 

Standings Watch:

If you like chaos, the EuroLeague table is delivering.

There is a full blown log jam in the middle of the standings, five teams tied with 16 wins, stretching from the last Play Off spot all the way down to the final Play In position. That is not a cushion. That is a knife fight. For all five, avoiding the extra Play In game has to be the priority. One clean run and you are hosting a series. One bad stretch and you could tumble completely out of the Play In picture.

Right behind that cluster sit Milano and Dubai with 14 wins. They are close enough to apply pressure, far enough that every loss hurts double. With so many teams packed together, the margin between security and panic is razor thin.

Up top, there is a little more clarity. Fenerbahçe remains in first place, holding a two win advantage over Valencia and Olympiacos. Just behind that trio sit the two Spanish giants, both eyeing a top four finish and the protection that comes with it.

The table is compressed, the stakes are obvious, and every week now feels like it swings two directions at once. Climb or slide. There is very little middle ground left.

 

What’s at Stake:

Fenerbahçe’s defense isn’t just good. It’s in another stratosphere. The defending champions are sitting at a 109.1 DRTG, numbers that don’t just win games, they define them.

But it’s not magic. It’s structure. Sarunas Jasikevicius has built a system that lives in the gaps. Switching is automatic, but it’s what comes after the switch that sets them apart. They front the bigs, rotate on the backside, and are merciless about identifying the weak link on the other end. If you’re not a threat, you’re a target; help comes, mistakes happen, shots get contested.

The results show up in the little things. Fenerbahçe funnels offenses into mid-range shots, second-best in the league in both mid-range attempts allowed (9.4%) and points per shot on those attempts (0.68). They clean the glass, grabbing 68.5% of available defensive boards, which in this system is everything. Miss a box-out, miss a chance; get it right, and you force one more tough possession.

The real question: can this defensive machine carry them all the way to back-to-back titles? Right now, the evidence says yes, but the margin for error is razor thin in the playoffs.

 

Biggest News Around EuroLeague

Kai Jones is staying put in Istanbul. Anadolu Efes and the Bahamas-born center agreed to a two-year extension, locking him in through 2028.

The numbers this season aren’t eye-popping yet, but the flashes are impossible to ignore. Under Pablo Laso, Jones’s minutes have jumped, particularly over the last eight games, he’s logged 20-plus in every single one. And with that time comes efficiency: 45/47 FG on the season. That’s not luck. It’s athleticism turned into a EuroLeague weapon. He’s one of the best rollers and lob targets on the continent, the kind of player who can finish above the rim even when everyone knows the play is coming.

Defensively, he’s just as impressive. 1.1 blocks per game puts him fourth in the league, but he’s doing it with roughly eight fewer minutes than the three players ahead of him. Rim protection, timing, anticipation: the tools are there.

This season was mostly about adaptation. If he continues on this trajectory, next year could be when Kai Jones really announces himself.

 

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 19:

FC Barcelona vs Fenerbahçe

Barcelona vs Fenerbahçe at Palau Blaugrana rarely needs extra context. A classic of European basketball, heavy tactics, heavy talent, and this one delivered on all of it.

Will Clyburn got the start with the responsibility of guarding Talen Horton Tucker, and from the jump Fenerbahçe stayed loyal to their identity, switching everything. The opening minutes were slow, Jan Vesely scored the lone two points in the first two minutes, but the game flipped once Fenerbahçe found a pressure point. Flat screens near half court to get Horton Tucker attacking downhill sparked a 9 0 run and forced Xavi Pascual into the first timeout of the night.

The timeout did not stop the bleeding. Vesely was the only source of early offense for Barcelona, scoring the first six, but back to back threes from Tarik Biberovic pushed the lead to double digits. Turnovers were the only thing keeping it from exploding further, five in the quarter for Fenerbahçe. Pascual tried to change the tone by inserting Lapprovitola, who immediately knocked down a three with 43 seconds left, but Barcelona’s pick and roll defense, hedging late and switching later, kept getting exposed.

Fenerbahçe shot the lights out in the first quarter, 10 of 12 from the field, 5 of 6 from three, with Biberovic and Baldwin combining for 18 points on perfect shooting. The scoreboard told the story, 29 14 after one.

The second quarter followed the same script. Fenerbahçe’s defense caused panic, stalled Barcelona’s offense and forced tough shots. Jasikevicius was so locked in defensively that after one miscommunication leading to an open Kevin Punter three that went in, he immediately called timeout. The response was textbook. A beautiful after timeout set freed Jantunen for a three and stretched the lead to 18.

Barcelona briefly found life through a six point possession, Punter’s three plus one and a Satoransky layup, but Wade Baldwin checked back in and reasserted control, scoring and assisting. Barcelona’s offense was almost entirely Kevin Punter, who poured in 14 in the quarter, but it barely dented the margin. Fenerbahçe went to halftime up 53 41.

Once again, Fenerbahçe came out sharper. An 8 3 run to open the third punished Barcelona’s defensive miscommunications and forced another Pascual timeout. Punter continued to be the only consistent creator, but this quarter belonged to Fenerbahçe. They shredded switches over and over, shot 8 of 9 from two, and at one point pushed the lead to 20.

On defense, Jasikevicius made a notable adjustment, asking De Colo to hard hedge to avoid switching onto Punter. The Yellow and Blues still won the quarter 20 15 and carried an 18 point cushion into the fourth.

Then Palau woke up. Barcelona showed a completely different edge, more ball pressure, more urgency. Parra scored the first five, Brizuela added the next five, fueling a 13 5 run in just over five minutes. Jasikevicius had no choice but to call timeout. It did not stop it. Barcelona scored four more and forced another stoppage with the lead down to five.

Offensive rebounding was massive, eight in the quarter, paired with a defense that held Fenerbahçe scoreless for more than six minutes until Horton Tucker finally got to the line. A Brizuela layup with 28 seconds left cut it to three, but it never went lower. Fenerbahçe held on, 82 78.

The second half shooting from deep deserted Fenerbahçe, 0 of 9 from three, but the free throw line told the real story. 20 of 25 for Fenerbahçe, 11 of 16 for Barcelona. Biberovic led all scorers with 19, Baldwin added 16 with five rebounds and seven assists. For Barcelona, Kevin Punter carried the load with 24 points, supported by three teammates in double figures.

A classic, tilted early by execution and discipline, nearly stolen late by effort and belief.

Hapoel BC vs Valencia BC

Rivalry games do not need history to feel personal. Hapoel against Valencia has reached that point, and this one had everything turned up.

The first surprise came before the ball went up, Bar Timor in the starting five ahead of Yan Madar, Vasilije Micic and Antonio Blakeney. From the opening possession Valencia stayed loyal to who they are, pushing the pace, picking up full court even after made shots, making every touch uncomfortable. Early on the game was tight, evenly matched, both teams feeling each other out.

Pedro Martinez made the first real adjustment, sending Sako to the floor, and it paid off immediately. The French big sparked a 9 2 run with four points and a steal, opening a seven point gap. Dimitris Itoudis answered with a double big lineup of Motley and Odiasse, and with back to back turnovers from Valencia, their only two of the quarter, Hapoel trimmed it back to three by the end of the first.

The second quarter opened with Martinez leaning into defense, giving minutes to Isaac Nogues, one of the best defensive guards in the league. In just three minutes the 21 year old made Micic’s life miserable, but Valencia could not fully cash in thanks to excellent defensive transition from the EuroCup champions. Then the game flipped on Antonio Blakeney.

First a corner three, Hapoel’s first of the night, then a pull up three from the wing, and then Motley joined in to cap a 9 2 run that forced Martinez to stop the game. Valencia’s offense completely stalled, just six points in over five minutes and no points for about four until Jean Montero ended the drought with a wild runner. It barely mattered. Hapoel kept piling on, winning the quarter 28 12 and taking a 49 36 lead into halftime. Blakeney already had 15. Valencia’s shooting was rough, 38 percent from the field and 11 percent from three, but offensive rebounding kept them afloat with 12 before the break.

The third quarter started with something Valencia badly missed earlier. Nate Reuvers drilled a deep three on the first possession and scored the first nine points for the Taronja. The game sped up immediately, 13 12 in the quarter when a timeout came three minutes in. Valencia’s defense, usually so reliable, showed cracks with pick and roll coverage and miscommunications, and Hapoel punished them. After a Jones three the lead ballooned to 16, the biggest of the night.

Valencia never folds. An 8 0 run dragged the margin back to single digits before Hapoel closed the quarter strong with a 7 3 push, entering the fourth up 73 61.

Valencia struck first again in the fourth, a 5 0 burst in under a minute. Hapoel answered with a Motley pick and pop three to restore a double digit lead. Valencia countered with a 4 0 run in 20 seconds. Yan Madar was electric off the bench all night, keeping Valencia close, but the tide kept shifting. A 10 2 run capped by a Montero three tied the game with 2:25 left. Valencia’s defensive activity spiked, and points became hard to find for Hapoel.

Reuvers finished a nice Montero feed to put Valencia up two. After a stop, Montero had the ball with a chance to close it and turned it over. Hapoel ran and tied the game with 57 seconds left. Montero committed another turnover, but Braxton Key saved the night, stepping in for a perfect charge. The final shot came up short, Reuvers tipped it in after the buzzer, and the game went to overtime.

Overtime belonged to Jean Montero. He put on the Superman cape, scoring 10 points, even as Madar tried to be his Kryptonite with six of his own. As the young guards traded punches, an unsung hero emerged. Taylor rose for a massive rejection on a corner three, the kind of play that tilts games. Valencia escaped Israel with a 104 99 win.

Montero finished with 29 points and eight assists, with Reuvers adding 20 and Darius Thompson 17. Offensive rebounding, 16 on the night, was decisive. For Hapoel, Blakeney scored 23, Madar set a career high with 20, but 13 turnovers proved too much in a game this tight.

Partizan vs Panathinaikos

This one took a while to find a pulse, but once it did, it belonged entirely to Partizan.

The opening minutes were messy on both sides. Partizan kept trying to establish Bruno Fernando inside, but the finishes were not there. When that stalled, the offense leaned into isolations from Cam Payne and Brown. On the other end, Panathinaikos played almost exclusively through its guards, with TJ Shorts and Sloukas doing most of the damage they could manage. It was not pretty basketball, but it was revealing.

Defensively, Partizan set the tone early. They were aggressive, hedging hard on Panathinaikos ball handlers and forcing decisions. That pressure paid off at the end of the first quarter, when Partizan closed on a 7 0 run fueled by pace and mistakes. Panathinaikos had no answers. Despite the rough start offensively, Partizan led by one after one quarter, mostly because they took care of the ball. Five turnovers for the Greens, just one for the home team.

The second unit mattered. Jekiri, Partizan’s backup center, was huge by simply being in the right spots. He scored inside repeatedly off off ball reactions, many of them created by Calathes finding him at the perfect time. Partizan kept playing fast in the second quarter and stayed relentless defensively. Every possession had effort, and that effort turned into transition chances and more Panathinaikos mistakes. By halftime, Partizan had opened a 12 point lead.

Matchups started to tilt the floor. Brown being guarded by TJ Shorts did not work for Panathinaikos. Brown’s size and shot creation hurt them on both ends. Cedi Osman never found a rhythm either, checked by one of the league’s best defensive forwards in Bonga. Panathinaikos looked uncomfortable, searching for answers that were not there.

The third quarter removed all doubt. Partizan stretched the lead to 24 and effectively ended the game. They dominated every aspect. By that point Panathinaikos had already committed 16 turnovers, compared to just seven for Partizan. The Greens managed only nine points in the quarter, swallowed by pressure and pace.

Beyond the defense, the real separator was how Partizan played offense. This was not isolation heavy or static. The ball moved, players reacted, and reads were made on the fly. The assist total told the story, 20 on the night, a reflection of a team playing together and trusting the pass.

The fourth quarter was a formality. Panathinaikos showed some fight and won the quarter 20 12, but it never threatened the outcome. Only one Panathinaikos player reached double figures, and the second leading scorer finished with just seven points. The team felt disconnected from start to finish.

By the final buzzer, the takeaway was clear. With Penarroya on the sideline and full buy in from the roster, Partizan suddenly looks like one of the most enjoyable teams to watch in the league, not just because they win, but because of how they do it.

Key Performances of the Past Week:

Jean Montero vs Hapoel BC

Here we are once again, giving our flowers to a 22 year old, 188 cm Dominican guard, and this time there is no debate. In one of the most hostile environments you will find in the EuroLeague, Jean Montero was the MAN. Valencia needed someone to drag them through a game that went beyond basketball, and Montero did exactly that, willing his team into a 16 point comeback win.

Let’s talk hoop. The box score already tells a loud story. Career highs everywhere. Twenty nine points on ruthless efficiency, 7 of 10 from two, 2 of 6 from three, a perfect 9 of 9 from the line. His previous best was 25. He tied his career marks in rebounds with four and assists with eight. On paper, that is a big night. In context, it was massive.

The timing is what elevates this from very good to special. Montero owned the last 15 minutes of the game, fourth quarter plus overtime. Twenty one points and four assists when the game tightened, when possessions mattered, when legs were heavy and decisions defined outcomes. He went 6 of 10 from the floor in that stretch and did not miss a single free throw, 7 of 7, every one of them a small act of control in chaos.

There is always a moment that captures a performance, the snapshot you remember when the numbers fade. This one had it. The overtime three, created off the dribble, after breaking Micic’s ankles, a shot that broke the internet and Hapoel fans’ hearts at the same time. It gave Valencia a lead they never gave back.

At 22, in that building, in that game, Jean Montero did not just play well. He announced himself again.

 

Standings Watch:

This was one of those EuroLeague weeks that quietly reshapes the picture. The defending champions took care of business and now own a two win cushion over their closest chasers, a trio that includes Olympiacos, Valencia and FC Barcelona. In a league built on thin margins, two wins suddenly feels loud.

Not everyone is heading in the right direction. Hapoel and Monaco are trending the wrong way, both riding losing streaks and sliding down the table. For Monaco, the drop is especially sharp. They now sit in the last Play In spot, tied in wins with Zalgiris, which tells you how quickly the ground can disappear under your feet.

Behind them, the Play In chase is tightening. EA7 Olimpia Milano is leading that group, sitting just one win shy of 10th place. Dubai is right there as well, only one win behind Milano, lurking and waiting for another stumble ahead of them.

The biggest loser of the week was Virtus. Two defeats in the double week pushed them into a tough spot. They are now three wins away from the Play In, grouped with Maccabi and FC Bayern, and suddenly the math is starting to look uncomfortable. The question now hangs in the air and it is a fair one. Are Virtus chances of getting to the Play In already slipping away?

In this league, nothing is settled. But momentum, good or bad, is starting to matter.

 

Week 20 Games to Watch:

EA7 Milano vs Dubai BC

This might not be the most glamorous matchup on the board, but it is easily one of the heaviest. No other game of the round carries the same implications. Play In aspirations are on the line, and the math is simple. A Milano win here could be the nail on Dubai’s coffin. Flip the result, and suddenly the two teams are tied, both outside looking in, both very much alive.

Neither of these teams is really known for their defense, and that is putting it kindly. Offense, though, is a different story. Despite very different styles, both teams are very, very good on that end of the floor, which all but guarantees a high scoring game on the horizon.

Microwave type shooters, elite scorers, high flying big men, PnR maestros. This game has it all. It may not shine on paper at first glance, but if you care about the Play In race, this one is not optional.

Panathinaikos vs Fenerbahçe

The last two EuroLeague champions, on the same floor, in the 2026 Final Four site. It is hard not to ask the obvious question. Is this a preview for May?

The two teams arrive here moving in very different directions. Fenerbahçe is rolling, winners of six straight and untouched by defeat since January 8th. Panathinaikos, meanwhile, has been below .500 since the turn of the year. And yet, everyone around the league knows the same truth. The Greens are capable of beating anyone, anywhere, on any given night.

Stylistically, this one writes itself. Fenerbahçe’s defense has been outstanding and remains their primary weapon. Panathinaikos does its biggest damage on the other side of the ball, leaning on offense to bend games in their favor. It sets up the oldest debate in basketball, offense versus defense, with two teams fully committed to their identity.

Then there is the sideline. Two of the best coaches Europe has to offer, both more than capable of swinging a game with one adjustment, one lineup tweak, one perfectly timed timeout. Their fingerprints will be all over this one.

Something has to give. The only real question is which side bends first.

 

What’s at Stake:

What is happening in the Côte d’Azur? AS Monaco has dropped five straight games and in the process has slid from second place all the way to tenth, clinging to the last Play In spot. This is not a gentle drift down the standings. It is a free fall, and it demands an explanation.

The offense has slipped, though not collapsed. Before this skid Monaco was humming along at an elite 121.5 offensive rating. Over the last five games that number has fallen to 113.6. That matters, but it is not the real problem. The defense is. Before January 19th, Monaco owned the second best defense in the league at a 111.4 defensive rating. Since then, they have been the third worst unit in the EuroLeague, bleeding points at a 126.1 defensive rating. That is a swing of 14.7 points per 100 possessions, the kind of shift that flips wins into losses almost overnight.

One stat captures the collapse perfectly. During this five game losing streak, Monaco has posted as many games with a defensive rating above 120 as they did in the previous 22 games combined. Five. The defensive floor has disappeared.

And the issues are not limited to what is happening between the lines. Off the floor, the noise is getting louder. Vassilis Spanoulis has already voiced his frustration with the lack of depth, pointing out that playing a nine month season with two or three games per week using just 12 players is not normal. Other teams have 17 or 18 players. Monaco does not, and that reality shows up in tired legs and compromised practices.

There have also been reports of delayed salaries and even the possibility of a player strike after missing a domestic game. None of that helps stabilize a locker room already under pressure.

So this is the moment. With everything unraveling on and off the floor, the question is simple and heavy at the same time. Can Monaco steady the ship, or has the promised land slipped just out of reach?

 

Biggest News Around EuroLeague

The injury bug keeps circling Piraeus and it just took another bite. Cory Joseph is the latest name to land on Olympiacos injury report, joining a list that already includes mid season additions Monte Morris and Frank Ntilikina, plus the ever unlucky Keenan Evans. For a team that values structure, control, and continuity at the point of attack, this is about as cruel as timing gets.

Joseph, the Canadian guard who once lifted an NBA title with the San Antonio Spurs, suffered a left hamstring strain and will miss some time. That leaves Bartzokas staring at a depth chart that is suddenly very short at the one. Right now, Thomas Walkup is the only true option available, and the margin for error has evaporated.

The context makes this even more fascinating. Olympiacos has won six of its last seven games and is riding real momentum, the kind that usually cushions a blow like this. They are playing connected basketball, leaning on collective execution and trust rather than individual brilliance.

So the question hangs in the air. Is this one absence too many, or is the collective spirit of this group strong enough to absorb yet another hit and keep the machine running? In Piraeus, that answer tends to come not from who is missing, but from who is still standing.

 

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!