The Games of week 14:

Barcelona vs Monaco

The final EuroLeague stop before the calendar flipped gave us Barcelona versus Monaco, a matchup loaded with creators, counters, and coaching nuance. It delivered, just not in the way Barcelona would have hoped.

Monaco looked at Barcelona’s starting five and immediately settled on a clear idea. Spam the pick and roll. Force Willy Hernangomez into space. Make him defend actions again and again. Barcelona, meanwhile, wanted the opposite, involving Willy early on the block to establish some interior rhythm. He scored once, and those two points were the team’s only points over the first four minutes. Monaco’s doubles on Kevin Punter isolations did their job, disrupting Barcelona’s timing, but the visitors did not exactly light up the scoreboard either. At the first media timeout, with 4:40 left in the quarter, the score sat at a very EuroLeague looking 7 to 5.

That is when the game tilted. Out of the timeout, Vassilis Spanoulis’ group rattled off a 6 to 0 run, forcing Xavi Pascual to stop things again. This time the momentum did not swing back. Kevarrius Hayes became a problem as a roller and on the offensive glass, and even though Dario Brizuela chipped in five late points, Barcelona limped to the end of the quarter down 22 to 13.

The second quarter followed a familiar script. Monaco’s defense kept pushing Barcelona deep into the shot clock, while on the other end Nikola Mirotic went to work, scoring seven points in under two minutes. For Barcelona, Brizuela again played the rescuer, scoring the first six points of the quarter just to keep the lights on. A brief 5 to 0 Barcelona run trimmed the deficit to ten, which Spanoulis immediately shut down with a timeout. Monaco answered with a quick 6 to 2 burst, flipped the timeout pressure back onto Pascual, and then kept extending the lead. A Mike James floater pushed the margin to 21, the largest of the night, before Barcelona squeezed in four late points to reach halftime down 47 to 30.

The numbers told a blunt story. Barcelona shot 3 of 14 from three in the first half, turned it over eight times, and recorded only five assists. Kevin Punter had two points. Monaco, meanwhile, had 12 assists against four turnovers, and Mirotic and Hayes combined for 18 points off the bench.

The third quarter teased the idea of a comeback. Brizuela stayed hot, scoring with variety and confidence, dragging Barcelona into its best stretch of the game. Then came the moment that froze everything. A controversial Mike James four point play sparked two technical fouls on Pascual, an ejection, and a six point swing with the clock not moving. Barcelona technically won the quarter 23 to 22, but the emotional air went out of the building. The gap stayed stubbornly at sixteen.

Early in the fourth, Barcelona tried a new look, sliding Parra to the three to hunt interior mismatches. It did not open the floor. Over five minutes passed with the quarter tied 6 to 6. After the media timeout, Barcelona finally surged, ripping off a 7 to 0 run and briefly hinting at drama. Hayes shut the door. An offensive rebound, a foul drawn immediately after, two free throws. The run stopped. The momentum vanished. The rest was clock management and resignation.

Barcelona finished the night 6 of 27 from three. Punter managed just two field goals and eight points. Brizuela was excellent, pouring in 25, with Miles Norris the only other player to reach double figures. Monaco did it together. Four players scored in double digits, and Hayes embodied the difference with 15 points, five rebounds, and two blocks.

On the last EuroLeague night of the year, Monaco looked organized, physical, and composed. Barcelona fought, but the math, the matchups, and the margins never really tilted back their way.

Hapoel vs Zalgiris

Hapoel versus Zalgiris felt like one of those games where the balance of control quietly but decisively shifted over forty minutes, even if the scoreboard stayed tight early.

Hapoel hit the floor sharper. Zalgiris needed time to adjust, picking up early foul trouble and coughing the ball up three times in the opening stretch. The home team’s defenders were flying around, and Zalgiris looked uncomfortable just trying to organize its offense. That early chaos turned into a solid cushion for Hapoel, a double digit lead forming late in the first quarter. The visitors stayed within striking distance largely thanks to Sylvain Francisco, whose ability to get to the line kept the deficit to seven after ten minutes. Moses Wright, though, was a non factor in the opening quarter, and without his interior presence Zalgiris lacked its usual physical anchor.

The second quarter brought cleaner solutions for the visitors. Zalgiris went hunting mismatches, most notably finding Ulanovas inside against Tyler Ennis, which produced two quality looks and trimmed the gap to three. Jonathan Motley responded by reminding everyone why he is such a matchup problem, scoring from everywhere on the floor, including two clean threes without a miss, pushing Hapoel back up by nine midway through the period. Then the texture of the game flipped. Hapoel stopped winning the rebounding battle, and Zalgiris punished them with four offensive rebounds in the quarter, turning those into easier second chance points inside. By halftime, the Israeli side’s early control had evaporated into a slim one point lead.

After the break, Zalgiris finally grabbed the wheel. Moses Wright drilled a three at the 24 second buzzer to give the Lithuanians their first lead of the night, a small moment that felt like a psychological shift. Maodo Lo followed with intent, scoring five straight points to push the margin to seven. From there, Zalgiris never really loosened its grip. Hapoel’s defense grew passive, Wright shook off his slow start, and suddenly the paint belonged to him. Offensive rebounds turned into put backs, penetrations turned into lobs, and a 10 to 0 run stretched the lead to eleven.

Elijah Bryant arrived late, scoring eight straight points in the final three minutes, but until then he had been largely quiet and not aggressively looking for his shot. Zalgiris stayed calm through it all, using time, valuing possessions, and avoiding mistakes. Even the emotional moments tilted their way, with coach Itoudis drawing a technical foul after erupting toward Blakeney for missing a defensive assignment and failing to press full court.

In the end, the difference was simple and decisive. Hapoel could not compete on the glass, and once Zalgiris settled into its switching defense, the home team struggled to generate clean looks. The Lithuanian ball handlers controlled the tempo, scored when they needed to, and methodically turned an uncomfortable start into a composed road win.

Panathinaikos vs Olympiacos

There are few ways to open a calendar year louder than Panathinaikos versus Olympiacos at OAKA, and this one wasted no time reminding everyone why this derby lives in its own category.

Ergin Ataman opened with a curveball, sliding Mitoglou into the starting five over Juancho, but the early script belonged entirely to Olympiacos. The Red and Whites came out sharp, decisive, and physical, ripping off a 5-0 start and immediately hunting Dorsey on the block against the smaller TJ Shorts. That matchup paid off in cash. Dorsey poured in eight early points and Olympiacos surged to a 20 5 advantage midway through the quarter. Panathinaikos had five points total at that stage, all from Faried, and Ataman had no choice but to burn a timeout.

The Greens steadied the damage, throwing different looks at Olympiacos including a 2-3 zone on baseline out of bounds situations after getting carved up by earlier sets. It slowed the bleeding but did not change the tone. Thirteen points in a quarter is simply not survivable at this level, especially when you go 0 for 6 from three and lose the rebounding battle that badly. Panathinaikos finished the quarter with only three defensive rebounds, while Olympiacos grabbed five offensive boards on the way to a 28-13 lead.

The second quarter flipped the game on its head. Panathinaikos raised its intensity, picking up full court after dead balls, and once the first three dropped, OAKA turned volcanic. The Greens fed off it, ripping off a 16-6 run as Olympiacos went cold. Bartzokas resisted the timeout, instead sending Vezenkov back into the fire. The former MVP answered with a massive corner three, but the momentum had already shifted. Kendrick Nunn took over the quarter, scoring 14 points and dragging Panathinaikos to a 30-15 period. The shooting gap told the story. Panathinaikos went 5 for 8 from deep, Olympiacos just 2 for 8. At halftime, it was all square.

The third quarter was messy. Turnovers, offensive fouls, rushed shots, the kind of chaos that often defines derbies when nerves start to creep in. Even in the mess, Vezenkov’s off ball movement stayed surgical, constantly stressing the Panathinaikos defense. Ataman tried different looks, including Mitoglou at the five, but Nunn continued to deliver through pick and roll and isolation. No one could land a real punch. Sixty one apiece heading into the fourth, everything still up for grabs.

Olympiacos struck first in the final quarter, scoring the first six points and nine of the first eleven to open a seven point gap after a huge defensive play from Monte Morris led to Fournier free throws. Panathinaikos answered again with a 7-0 run, refusing to let the game slip. Then Faried checked back in, and Olympiacos smelled blood. Milutinov went to work on the block, while Fournier and Dorsey pulled Faried into pick and roll actions, opening a nine point lead by relentlessly targeting him. Once again, Panathinaikos pushed back, trimming the gap to four and getting a break when Morris missed two free throws.

The break did not fully materialize. Panathinaikos failed to secure the defensive rebound, sent Fournier back to the line, and he split the pair. Nunn responded by drawing a foul on a three and calmly sinking all three free throws to make it a one possession game. Then Dorsey closed the door. He forced the switch onto Faried, drove baseline, slipped under the rim, and rose up for a cold blooded mid range jumper over the contest. Four point game, forty seconds left. Panathinaikos had no answer the rest of the way, and a lone Walkup free throw sealed an 87-82 Olympiacos win.

Nunn was brilliant again with 32 points, five rebounds, and six assists, but this derby tilted red. Dorsey and Vezenkov combined for 45 points, Milutinov chipped in 10 points and nine rebounds, and his plus minus of plus 19 told the deeper story. In a game of runs, adjustments, and emotional swings, Olympiacos executed just a little cleaner when it mattered most.

Key Performances of the Past Week:

Sometimes the performance of the week does not announce itself with fireworks or a box score that slaps you in the face. Sometimes it lives in the margins, in the connective tissue of a game, in the stuff that only really pops if you are watching the details. That was Kevarrius Hayes against Barcelona. He came off the bench and somehow left his fingerprints everywhere. The line reads 15 points, five rebounds, two blocks, two steals, but that is just the receipt, not the story. Hayes was brutally efficient, feasting on Barcelona’s hedge coverage by punishing it in the short roll and even stepping into a midrange jumper when the defense gave it to him. Four of his five rebounds came on the offensive glass, and one of those effectively ended the game, snuffing out the last bit of momentum Barcelona was trying to build. Defensively he was locked in on every possession, protecting the rim, never missing a rotation, getting hands into passing lanes, and holding his own when switched onto guards by staying in front and funneling them exactly where the help was waiting. This was a game plan performance, the kind coaches love and teammates feel. Spanoulis should be delighted, and Hayes deserves his flowers.

At some point we probably need to stop treating Weiler Babb’s season like a quiet side note and start calling it what it is. He has been very good, even if the wins have not followed, and that part is not on him. He has embraced the jack of all trades role and taken a clear step forward compared to previous years. Against Crvena Zvezda, he poured in 17 points while still doing elite work on the other end, racking up five steals and six rebounds. The 28 PIR jumps off the page, especially considering it came in a big loss, and that almost makes it more telling. Babb is doing his job, and then some.

Chima Moneke did not lead his team in scoring against Efes, but this was still a performance that filled every corner of the stat sheet and mattered in the context of the moment. He finished with 16 points, eight rebounds, two steals, and a plus minus of 20, providing exactly the kind of all around impact his team needed to halt bad momentum and bounce back. It was physical, energetic, and efficient, the kind of night where the influence extends well beyond who took the most shots.

 

Standings Watch:

The top of the table just got a little messier, and that is usually where the fun starts. Hapoel slipped this week and now find themselves sharing the lead with a very familiar enemy in Valencia Basket, both sitting at 13 and 6. That pairing carries some real baggage. These two teams crossed paths in last year’s EuroCup semi finals, a series Hapoel decided with a road win in a tense Game 3 that spilled into ugly moments afterward and led to this season’s matchup being played behind closed doors, a decision that still feels baffling. Fast forward a few months and here they are, not just contenders but the two best teams in the EuroLeague by record. The question now is simple and brutal. Can they actually keep this level, week after week, with everyone circling their names on the schedule.

Right behind them lurks Fenerbahçe, and the defending champions look very much like themselves again. They sit at 12 and 6 with a game in hand, and the early season noise has been washed away by results. Nine wins in the last ten games will do that. After a poor start, they have steadied, tightened, and climbed right back into the top tier, exactly where you would expect them to be when things start to matter.

At the other end of the standings, there is congestion but not much optimism. Paris, Baskonia, Efes, Bayern, ASVEL and Partizan are all tied at 6 and 15, and while that is technically one big group, the math is not kind. Five wins separate them from the play in, and at this point it feels fair to say that none of these teams are about to do the impossible. Never say never, that is always true, but consistency has been missing for too long. Until one of them proves otherwise and strings together real basketball over multiple weeks, they are looking up at better teams who will fight with everything they have to keep that door shut.

 

Week 15 Games to Watch:

Fenerbahçe vs Olympiacos

We are technically in the second round, but this matchup feels brand new. Fenerbahçe and Olympiacos are finally seeing each other for the first time after the game in Piraeus was postponed, and the timing could not be better.

Both teams arrive in a very real groove. Fenerbahçe has dropped just one game in their last ten, quietly rebuilding the aura of a defending champion that knows how to win ugly and win late. Olympiacos counters with a three game winning streak of their own, capped by a derby win on the road that always adds a little extra fuel to the tank.

This is the classic contrast of styles you circle on the calendar. The best offense in the EuroLeague against the best defense. Olympiacos wants rhythm, flow, and execution. Fenerbahçe wants to squeeze the air out of possessions and force you to solve problems late in the clock. This one feels destined to be decided on the smallest details, one missed rotation, one extra offensive rebound, one possession that swings the balance.

Crvena Zvezda vs Valencia

This is the other game you should not skip. Crvena Zvezda is coming off a win last round, and that changes the temperature immediately. Confidence matters, and suddenly things get more interesting.

Expect pace, but maybe not points. Somewhat surprisingly, this could turn into a not so great scoring game, with both teams sitting in the top four in defensive rating. Valencia is likely to switch everything, putting pressure on Red Star’s ball handlers and daring them to beat a set defense.

For Crvena Zvezda, the answer cannot be isolation only. The ball has to move. If it sticks, Valencia will be comfortable all night. Both teams are elite on the glass, and that battle could decide everything. Extra possessions tend to matter even more when points are hard to come by.

Valencia vs Monaco

This may not be a historical rivalry, but purely in terms of basketball quality, it is impossible to look away. Valencia and Monaco play some of the most exciting basketball in Europe, even if they get there in very different ways.

Both teams are strong on both sides of the ball and, more importantly, are very clear about who they are. There is no confusion, no drifting. Every possession has intent. That alone makes this a must watch.

The chess match on the bench adds another layer. Pedro Martinez against Vassilis Spanoulis is the kind of coaching duel where every small decision matters, a timeout here, a substitution there, a coverage tweak that flips the game. This is the kind of matchup that can turn on one adjustment you do not notice until it is already too late.

 

What’s at Stake:

We all heard what Ergin Ataman said after the derby, and he did not mince words. The praise for Sasha Vezenkov was loud and deserved, but it came packaged with sharp criticism of his own power forwards, Juancho Hernangomez and Kostantinous Mitoglou. According to Ataman, Vezenkov showed what a real power forward looks like while Panathinaikos, in his words, played without one. That is the kind of quote that lingers.

On the surface, the box score seems to back him up. Juancho and Mitoglou combined for zero points. That number jumps off the page until you dig a little deeper. Each of them took just three shots. Among players who saw the floor, only Shorts and Kalaitzakis attempted fewer. Watching the game, it was clear that Panathinaikos never made a real effort to get either of them involved offensively. They struggled, yes, but it is hard to place the full weight of the outcome on players who were never put in a position to find rhythm.

The “like every derby” part of Ataman’s quote feels more like emotional punctuation than strict truth. Over the last five EuroLeague derbies, Juancho is averaging nine points, six rebounds and 14.5 efficiency while shooting efficiently from two, from three, and perfect at the line. Mitoglou is at 10.5 points, six rebounds and 13 efficiency with similarly solid shooting splits. These are not star numbers, but they are reliable production for players who often split minutes and are rarely the focal point of the offense.

That context matters. Ataman is clearly trying to light a fire, to provoke a response. Coaches do this all the time. The risk is that it works best when the criticism sits on a firm base of truth. Here, the line between motivation and misdirection is thin. Whether this quote galvanizes the locker room or quietly backfires is something only the next games will answer.

Meanwhile, Olympiacos moves forward with momentum and opportunity. After a huge win against their eternal rival, they now head to Istanbul with a chance to double down and silence critics by beating the defending champions. A win there would pull them level again and reshape the narrative in a hurry. The recent trends favor Fenerbahçe, nine wins in their last ten compared to six and four for Olympiacos, but derbies have a way of resetting confidence, and the Greek side is riding that emotional high.

The blueprint is already on tape. The Olympiacos frontcourt was decisive against Panathinaikos, exactly as Ataman pointed out, and it figures to be just as central against Fenerbahçe. On paper, Fener lacks size inside but compensates by being the best defensive team in the league on two point percentage. Something has to give. The tension between interior force and elite defensive discipline is where this game will likely be decided, and where all these words, critiques, and motivations will finally be tested on the floor.

 

Biggest News Around EuroLeague

Nando De Colo potentially returning to Fenerbahçe is one of those developments that feels bigger than a single transaction. It reads less like a nostalgic reunion and more like a calculated move that could unlock the season all over again. There is a familiar parallel here to last year’s Erick McCollum signing, a midseason adjustment that quietly recalibrated everything Fener wanted to be.

De Colo would not arrive as a savior in the dramatic sense, but as a stabilizer, and those are often more valuable. Veteran leadership matters in this league, especially deep into the season when games tilt on late possessions and emotional control. De Colo brings capable playmaking when things bog down, the ability to organize the offense without forcing it, and an efficient scoring boost that does not need volume to be effective. He knows when to pick his spots and when to simply make the right read.

There are, of course, limitations at this stage, particularly on the defensive end. But this is where roster context matters. Fenerbahçe is one of the best defensive teams in the league, and that allows you to be selective. You can hide certain deficiencies, protect matchups, and ask De Colo to give you what he still does at a high level rather than everything all at once.

 

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 13:

Fenerbahçe vs Barcelona

On Christmas Eve eve, Barcelona walked into Istanbul for what felt less like a regular-season game and more like a quiet, tense chess match against the defending champions. Every possession had intent. Every adjustment had a counter.

The game announced itself immediately. On the very first possession, Barcelona switched every single action Fenerbahçe ran, a look they never went back to for the rest of the night. It was a message as much as a tactic. The Turks struck first with the opening four points, but Barcelona answered with a 9-0 run that forced an early Saras timeout. Coming out of it, Xavi Pascual went to a 2-3 zone for just one possession, a deliberate nod to Fenerbahçe’s strength in ATO situations.

All of that early maneuvering produced a grinding first quarter. Defenses dictated terms, possessions stalled into 1×1 basketball, and the only things that cracked the stalemate were Fenerbahçe’s six offensive rebounds and two late Laprovittola turnovers. The locals edged it 17-13 after ten minutes.

The second quarter was about simplification. Fenerbahçe went straight at Willy Hernangomez. The Spanish big held up reasonably well, but Tarik Biberovic did the real damage. Run off the line, he punished Barcelona inside with eight straight points, pushing the lead to nine. For Barcelona, there was only one steady source of offense. Kevin Punter carried everything. Midway through the quarter he had 10 of the team’s 20 points, with Barcelona unable to find their bigs against the switching defense and forced into outside isolations.

Punter made it work. Almost by himself, he dragged Barcelona back with an 8-0 run to close the half. At the break, Fenerbahçe led by two, and the math told the story. Punter had 16 of Barcelona’s 33 points. No one else had more than four. For the defending champions, it was a two-headed offense, with Biberovic and Talen Horton-Tucker combining for 24 of their 35.

The third quarter belonged to adjustments. Jasikevicius made the clearest one of the night, doubling Punter in isolation and daring anyone else to beat them. Shooting from deep ticked up on both sides, but turnovers strangled the flow. After more than six minutes, the score sat at 11-9 for the quarter.

Barcelona briefly found daylight. A sharp ATO freed Dario Brizuela, and moments later his three put the Blaugrana back in front, forcing another Fenerbahçe timeout with 1:20 left. Saras got exactly what he wanted. A 5-2 close to the quarter ensured Fenerbahçe entered the fourth still ahead, 53-52.

Brizuela had been warming up, and he came out blazing. The Basque Mamba poured in 10 points in four minutes, pushing Barcelona to their largest lead of the night and forcing yet another stoppage. Fenerbahçe responded in familiar fashion, with Baldwin scoring out of a crisp ATO. The lead only flipped for good after back-to-back threes just outside the two-minute mark, a sequence that sent Pascual to the sideline for one last timeout.

Crunch time narrowed the game to its stars. Punter struck first, burying a corner three to put Barcelona up two. Wade Baldwin answered by forcing a switch onto Vesely and finishing at the rim. Punter drove again, collapsing the defense and dropping a perfect pass to Vesely, who was fouled but steady at the line. Barcelona back in front.

Baldwin wasn’t done. Fouled on a three-point attempt, he calmly knocked down all three free throws, giving Fenerbahçe a 72-71 lead. One possession left. The night distilled into its final matchup. Punter with the ball. Baldwin in front of him. Punter got into the paint, but when the shot went up, Baldwin was there to block it and seal the win.

The decisive margin came at the line. Barcelona attempted just four free throws all game. Fenerbahçe took 24. In a game defined by small edges, that was the biggest one of all.

Zalgiris vs Panathinaikos

Zalgiris and Panathinaikos turned their meeting into a game about pressure points, and for long stretches Zalgiris knew exactly where to press. From the opening minutes they switched every screen, daring Panathinaikos to adapt on the fly, and PAO never quite found a clean answer early. Kendrick Nunn and TJ Shorts were consistently pushed away from their left hand, funneled right into traffic, and Zalgiris made them uncomfortable possession after possession. The shooting told part of the story right away, with Zalgiris hitting three of five from deep in the first quarter, but the real damage came inside. Moses Wright controlled the glass, scored six points in the opening period, and made life difficult for Kenneth Faried, who simply could not match his presence.

Panathinaikos briefly found oxygen when Sylvain Francisco went to the bench, trimming the deficit to one possession, but Nigel Williams Goss and Maodo Lo answered immediately, steadying Zalgiris before any real momentum swing could take hold. PAO eventually raised its defensive intensity, and Omar Yurtseven became the lifeline. Six straight points from him sparked a run, and after a timeout from Ergin Ataman the Greeks adjusted by playing high low actions from the free throw line, punishing the switching defense with Yurtseven mismatches inside. That stretch helped them climb back after Zalgiris had built a double digit lead.

Still, Zalgiris responded like a team in control. With 3:40 left in the second quarter they were back up 14, outsmarting PAO offensively by consistently hunting the right shots and pounding the ball inside. On the other end Panathinaikos unraveled into poor decision after poor decision. Yurtseven’s perfect quarter, eight points without a miss, acted as a band aid more than a cure, masking deeper issues as Zalgiris’ backcourt carved them up. One on one defense failed, pick and roll coverage collapsed, and the roller was constantly free. Four lob finishes in the first half by Wright and Birutis underlined how easily Zalgiris guards were getting into the paint and delivering the ball. The halftime score sat at 50-40, and Yurtseven admitted afterward that the help side simply was not there, leading to too many uncontested dunks.

The second half initially followed the same script. Zalgiris continued to contain Nunn and kept slicing through PAO’s coverage, with Ataman openly pointing out the same issues during timeouts that never fully went away. Then Panathinaikos changed the tempo. Playing both top guards together sped everything up, and TJ Shorts in particular added a new dimension, pushing the pace, creating angles, and even impacting the game defensively. Coincidentally or not, the run came with Francisco on the bench, where despite scoring only three points he had been disruptive defensively earlier. Without a defensive specialist to slow Nunn, Panathinaikos surged. Three point shooting flipped the math, finishing the third quarter eight of fifteen from deep, and suddenly they were down just one with a minute left in the period.

The fourth quarter belonged to stars and lapses. Cedi Osman opened it with intent, scoring Panathinaikos’ first eight points and giving them their largest lead of the night at three. After an early timeout, Nunn took over, capitalizing on Zalgiris pick and roll mistakes that left him shooting in space. Two straight Zalgiris turnovers extended the lead to nine. From there the Lithuanian defense unraveled. Assignments were missed, rotations were late, and Panathinaikos’ best players walked into production. Zalgiris kept attacking inside but turnovers piled up, mistakes that had not been there in the first half, and the game slipped away.

Monaco vs Real Madrid

In Monaco, the story unfolded differently but ended with a similar theme of structure versus spurts. Walter Tavares opened the night with a chip on his shoulder, and for a moment it felt like a mismatch masquerading as a game. At one point in the first quarter he had nearly as many points as Monaco, finishing the period with 13 on six of seven shooting while grabbing six rebounds, four of them offensive. Monaco tried to push the pace, but offensively they were hanging on rather than dictating, and by the end of the first quarter they had already committed six turnovers.

Monaco steadied itself by leaning fully into defense. Hayes and Tarpey entered and immediately mattered, freeing Nedovic and Mirotic to focus on scoring while also holding their own defensively. With Walter and Campazzo on the bench, Monaco ripped off a 10-2 run. Madrid answered as soon as Walter returned, but still went into the break trailing by four. The underlying issue was clear. Against a good defense, Madrid’s lack of a system showed. They relied on isolations and mismatch hunting, often rushing into advantages and then settling. Monaco did some of the same, but with multiple ball handlers and real playmaking beyond one Campazzo, they could sustain it.

The third quarter tilted toward Monaco as Madrid allowed their scorers too much comfort. Okobo walked into back to back mid range shots with clean spacing, and Mike James followed from the same spot to push the lead to six. Monaco opened the fourth with an 11-5 run, and the difference was clear. Kevarrius Hayes mattered everywhere, switching onto guards, defending Walter, and adding pressure to every Madrid ball handler. Offensively, Mirotic arrived with force, scoring eight points by the middle of the quarter and igniting a 14-2 run.

Campazzo made it interesting late, drilling three after three and adding a layup scoring 14 consecutive fourth quarter points, but it came too late. Madrid simply did not have enough creation beyond him, and without a system to cover those gaps, the comeback stalled. When Monaco needed it, their defense was gold. Their ball handlers delivered, Okobo stepped up, and Mirotic and Nedovic closed the door in the fourth, sealing a win built on structure, balance, and timely execution.

Key Performances of the Past Week:

It is not often the best performance of the week comes wrapped in a loss, but this one demanded the exception. In a game loaded with backcourt talent, Facundo Campazzo still managed to shine the brightest in a 95-100 defeat to Monaco. The line alone pops, 28 points, 10 assists, five rebounds, three steals, a clean double double. Then you look closer and it gets louder. Only three missed shots all night. Brutal efficiency paired with total control.

Campazzo punished every switch Monaco offered and ran the pick and roll with absolute mastery, bending the defense until it cracked. This was not scoring for the sake of scoring. This was orchestration. His feel for space, timing, and angles evoked another small Argentinian wearing a rival shirt in a different sport. There was something Lionel Messi like in the way he sliced through the defense, scissor through wrapping paper clean and precise. The 10 assists were not simple reads. Several of those passes live only in the hands of players born with a special gift. It was a masterclass, even if the scoreboard did not cooperate. Maybe the recognition softens that blow.

McKinley Wright IV deserves his own paragraph for a different reason. He has been on a run, and this round was another data point. On a Dubai team navigating injuries, Wright has been the steady hand, the consistent leader. Against Milano he delivered 19 points, nine assists, four rebounds, and once again looked like the player keeping everything together. No fireworks, just reliability, possession after possession, and over this stretch that consistency matters.

Then there is Okobo against Madrid, a performance that did not need the loudest stat line to register. He scored from everywhere he wanted, and more importantly, when it mattered. When Mike James could not find his shot, Okobo stepped in, contributing on both ends and closing the door late. He ended the last scoring run, then hit the dagger with a floater that felt inevitable. Efficient from two at seven of eleven, one of three from deep, perfect from the line, finishing with 22 points. Sometimes the value is not in the volume but in the timing, and Okobo nailed the timing.

 

Standings Watch:

Four straight defeats have dropped Crvena Zvezda into the most uncomfortable real estate on the EuroLeague table, the middle of the Play In traffic jam where every result feels heavier than the last. The Serbians now sit at 10 and 8, tied with three other teams and clinging to a one win cushion over Milano and Dubai. That margin is thin enough to disappear in a single round. A trip to Istanbul to face Efes can be read two ways. It can be the game that resets their season and stops the slide, or it can be the kind of loss that nudges them to the outside looking in and turns urgency into pressure.

While that race tightens, Maccabi is quietly moving in the opposite direction. Sitting 14th does not usually raise eyebrows, but the context matters. Five straight wins have pushed them to an 8 and 10 record, and the arrow is pointing up. You can argue the schedule helped, with Valencia the only top tier opponent in that stretch. You can point out the comfort of playing at Maccabi. All fair. What is not debatable is the result. They are winning games, stacking confidence, and climbing the standings, which in this part of the season is the only currency that really counts.

 

Week 14 Games to Watch:

FC Barcelona vs AS Monaco

Another round brings another heavyweight meeting between a Spanish giant and AS Monaco, and this one checks every box before the ball is even tipped. When Kevin Punter, Elie Okobo, Darius Brizuela and Mike James share the same floor, you are guaranteed long stretches where defense becomes optional and self creation takes over. That is the kind of talent density that can flip a game in two possessions. On the sidelines it gets just as interesting, with Xavi Pascual and Vassilis Spanoulis treating every timeout like a problem to be solved. Expect counters, re counters and subtle tweaks that only show up if you are really watching. With both teams sitting in Playoff positions, this is not just about style points. It is about staying where you are as the year closes, and there is hardly a better way to do it.

Panathinaikos vs Olympiacos

Then there is Panathinaikos against Olympiacos, a fixture that barely needs an introduction. Passionate fans, elite talent, oversized personalities and two teams built to win now all collide in one of the loudest environments European basketball can offer. The guard matchup tilts the conversation early. Can Panathinaikos guards tilt the game with pace and shot making, or will Olympiacos find ways to slow them down and impose order. Inside, the question flips. Can Panathinaikos limit a frontcourt that has been dominant and physical all season. Every possession feels personal in this one, and that is exactly why it is unmissable.

Virtus vs Milano

Virtus against Milano does not carry the same headline weight, but it is a classic that rewards anyone who sticks around. Playing it in Bologna adds a layer that simply does not exist in Milano, giving the home side a little extra edge. Virtus will need their defense to travel if they want to compete properly, because offensively the numbers are close. Both teams are similarly rated in points per game and three point percentage, but Milano has more weapons at its disposal. Since Ettore Messina stepped aside, Milano’s offense has loosened up, less stagnant and more willing to flow. Add the fact that Milano leads the head to head 2 and 0 this season, and you get a matchup that quietly carries real weight beneath the surface.

 

What’s at Stake:

Cameron Payne showed up in the EuroLeague like someone who had been waiting for this moment. His debut had rhythm and confidence written all over it. Fifteen points, six assists, only three missed shots and all of it packed into just twenty four minutes. The reads were quick, the pace made sense and for long stretches he looked exactly like what Partizan has been missing at the point guard spot.

And yet, the losing streak stayed intact. That is the tension point here. Partizan desperately needed a true point guard and Payne clearly fills that void, bringing structure and creation to a team that has often looked disjointed. The question now is whether one steady hand can pull a group back into the Play In conversation or if the problems run deeper than lineup fixes. Belgrade has its answer at the one, but the standings do not care about potential. Either Payne’s impact starts translating into wins fast, or Partizan risks being defined by the bottom half of the table for the rest of the season.

 

Biggest News Around EuroLeague

Every EuroLeague season has that moment where a name drops and everyone pauses. This week, that name is Isaiah Thomas.

The former NBA All Star has not been quiet about still wanting to play at a high level. His last stop was the 24 25 G League season, where he did exactly what elite scorers do when given the ball and space. Twenty nine point one points per game, five point five assists, and a clear reminder that, at least offensively, he can absolutely still hoop.

Then came the tweet. On the morning of the 26th, Thomas floated the idea of hopping into the EuroLeague, and suddenly the questions started stacking up. Can a five foot eight point guard survive defensively in this competition. Can his scoring gravity bend games enough to justify the matchup hunting that would inevitably follow. Or is this more about visibility, a marketing signing designed to move jerseys and headlines rather than rotations and standings.

The truth probably lives somewhere in between. EuroLeague teams do not hand out minutes lightly, but they also do not ignore shot creation, especially from a player who has been vocal about wanting this challenge. Whether this turns into a real signing or just another Isaiah Thomas moment designed to stay in the conversation, we should not have to wait long to find out.

 

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 12:

Valencia Olympiacos

Week 12 gave us another reminder of why EuroLeague nights in Piraeus rarely feel routine, even when the script looks familiar on paper. Valencia’s return to Greek soil, this time to the Peace and Friendship Stadium, turned into a full-blown tactical duel with Olympiacos, and it delivered from the opening tip.

From the start, the game revolved around Nikola Milutinov. Olympiacos made a point of feeding him early, leaning into inside dominance as if to test how much Valencia was willing to concede in the paint. On the other end, Valencia answered with a clear counterpunch, dragging Milutinov into pick-and-rolls and forcing him to defend in space. Both ideas worked, and the result was a fast, high-scoring opening quarter. Olympiacos edged it 27–25, living comfortably inside the arc with a crisp 6-of-9 on two-point attempts, while Valencia stayed true to itself, bombing away from deep at 5-of-9 and attacking the offensive glass for five early rebounds.

The second quarter looked, briefly, like the moment Olympiacos might take control. Three straight triples, patience against ball pressure, and longer, more deliberate possessions pushed the lead to 11 with 6:46 left. Valencia’s response was immediate and unmistakable. An 8–0 burst in barely over a minute reset the game, and even after Donta Hall steadied things at the line, the visitors kept coming. They spaced the floor, leaned into a central pick-and-pop, and took care of the ball, committing just one turnover in the entire quarter. Defensively, Valencia clamped down, allowing only seven points in the final 6:46, and walked into halftime with a 49–47 lead that felt earned rather than stolen.

Olympiacos again came out of the locker room with force. Walkup drilled back-to-back threes, Papanikolaou added another, and a 9–0 run forced Pedro Martinez to burn a timeout less than two minutes into the third. It barely slowed the momentum. Valencia finally broke the drought with a Nate Reuvers three at the 6:35 mark, but Olympiacos kept pressing, now using Vezenkov as a screener, exploiting his short-roll instincts and his ability to punish switches. The gap stretched to 13 before Valencia ripped off a quick 5–0 run in under 20 seconds to close the quarter. Olympiacos’ defense had been sharp, holding Valencia to 18 in the period, and the hosts entered the fourth up nine, seemingly in control.

Then the game flipped. The final quarter opened with traded baskets, calm before the storm, and then Valencia hit the switch. Eight straight points in about 30 seconds turned into a 15–0 run that swung the game entirely, giving the visitors an eight-point cushion. Milutinov briefly halted the bleeding with an offensive rebound and free throws with 3:24 to play, and Bartzokas tried a look with Peters and Vezenkov together to stretch the floor. It didn’t matter. Back-to-back threes from Puerto and Montero pushed the lead to double digits and effectively ended the night. Valencia was surgical in the closing minutes, committing just one turnover, hitting 6-of-11 from deep, while Olympiacos went ice-cold, missing all eight of their three-point attempts in the quarter on the way to a 99–92 final.

Depth told the story. Valencia poured in 44 points off the bench and had six players reach double figures, a collective effort that never wavered when the pressure rose. Olympiacos got everything they could from Vezenkov with 24 points and eight rebounds and from Milutinov with 13 and eight, but it wasn’t enough. In a building where small margins usually favor the home side, Valencia’s balance and composure in the decisive moments made the difference.

Panathinaikos vs Hapoel

The second game of the double week came with real buzz, and Panathinaikos vs Hapoel delivered on it. This one had layers, adjustments, and momentum swings that felt very EuroLeague, the kind of night where every lineup choice and every timeout mattered.

Ergin Ataman opened by tipping his cap to the league leaders. Kalaitzakis slid into the starting five, a nod to the Micic matchup and to the respect Hapoel have earned at the top of the standings. Early on, both teams found good looks and the offense flowed, but Cedi Osman immediately separated himself. The Turkish wing poured in eight of Panathinaikos’ first 12 points, showing the full package: catch-and-shoot threes, attacking closeouts, and running the floor in transition. An uptick in ball pressure ignited a 13–0 run that forced Itoudis into an early timeout with his team suddenly down 12. Hapoel stabilized by going to Motley on the block, which sparked a 9–2 finish to the quarter, but the damage was done. Four turnovers and a rough 1-of-6 from deep left them trailing 22–17 after one.

Panathinaikos opened the second quarter leaning into pick-and-roll, and Hapoel started switching a bit too willingly. The Greeks punished it, especially through Yurtseven, who scored five quick points attacking mismatches. On the other end, Malcolm kept Hapoel afloat, dropping 10 points in the first five minutes to keep things from slipping away. The turning point came with Kenneth Faried’s return. Hapoel immediately targeted him in spread pick-and-roll, shrinking the gap to two and forcing Ataman to pull Faried and go small with Mitoglou at the five. That move didn’t slow the momentum. Hapoel ripped off a 9–0 run, only halted by Kendrick Nunn’s shot-making. Somehow, despite shooting just 4-of-10 at the line, Hapoel went into halftime up 46–45.

The third quarter opened with Panathinaikos throwing the first punch, a 9–0 run that looked like it might reset the game. Hapoel answered right back with an 11–0 stretch of their own, this time anchored by much sharper defense and better execution on switches. Itoudis even flirted with small-ball, using Wainright at the five, but much like the Mitoglou minutes on the other side, it backfired. Panathinaikos closed the quarter on a 7–2 run, reclaiming control and taking a 65–62 lead into the fourth.

And then it became Kostas Sloukas time. The veteran guard opened the final quarter with a personal 5–0 burst that forced another Hapoel timeout, but the run kept growing. It finally stopped at 13 after a tough Blakeney pull-up, yet by then the tone was set. An Osman three pushed the lead to its largest, the OAKA crowd fully alive, and another timeout followed. Hapoel continued to score, but they could never string together the stops they needed. The margin never dipped below nine, and Kendrick Nunn closed it out, reminding everyone why he sits firmly in the MVP conversation, sealing a 93–82 win.

Osman and Nunn combined for 36 points to lead Panathinaikos in a statement victory. Hapoel had balance, with five players in double figures, but the missed opportunities at the line told the story. A 9-of-20 night on free throws is a hard way to survive in a building like OAKA, especially in the fourth quarter.

Barcelona vs Baskonia

Friday at Palau Blaugrana was one of those nights you tell your basketball grandchildren about. Barcelona and Baskonia turned a Round 17 matchup into an all-time EuroLeague classic, a triple-overtime thriller that didn’t just produce a winner, it produced history.

From the tip, you could tell this would be special. Baskonia came out hot, five-for-five from the field, with Marcus Howard setting the tone early. Defensively, they were disciplined, with Ratcevicius hounding Clyburn, but Barcelona’s mid-range game, led by Kevin Punter, was impossible to contain. The first quarter ended 26-17 in favor of Barcelona, but it was clear neither team would back down.

Baskonia’s initial rhythm continued into the second, thanks to Howard and Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot. Howard went 4-for-4 from three early and was active on defense, refusing to be a liability. Barcelona’s guards were slicing through Baskonia’s drop coverage, and as both teams traded runs, the lead swung back and forth. By the end of regulation, Barça had rallied from a 13-point deficit to lead 97-94, only for Howard to send the game to the first OT with a massive three.

Overtime became a showcase of endurance, execution and sheer will. In the first OT, TLC started hot while Howard cooled off. In the second, Barcelona’s depth finally made the difference, with Punter scoring 13 of the team’s next 15 points, including a driving layup with 0.1 seconds left to tie it at 122. The third OT saw Barcelona hunting mismatches, exploiting Howard with Satoransky, and running a 13-1 stretch that finally broke Baskonia.

The stats are staggering. Barcelona scored 134 points, breaking the EuroLeague all-time single-game record, surpassing Real Madrid’s 130 from 2023. The combined 258 points are the most in league history, topping the 256 scored by Real and Anadolu Efes in a quadruple-overtime thriller just last season. Kevin Punter had a career night: 43 points, 12 two-pointers, 23 points after regulation, fourth-most in the modern EuroLeague era, and a new Barcelona scoring record. Satoransky added 23 points, 8 boards, 6 assists, while Hernangomez and Clyburn chipped in 12 each.

Baskonia didn’t go quietly. Howard finished with 33 points on 6-of-8 two-pointers and 6-of-7 threes, TLC had 26, and Mamadi Dikaite and Khalifa Diop added 14 apiece. But even that wasn’t enough against a Barcelona team firing on all cylinders.

At the final buzzer, the scoreboard read 134-124. Barcelona improved to 12-5, tying atop the standings and extending their five-game win streak. Baskonia dropped to 6-11 and endured their 17th straight road loss.

This wasn’t just a game. It was an endurance test, a scoring clinic, a reminder of why EuroLeague basketball can rival anything you’ve seen anywhere else. And it all came down to one truth: depth matters, and when you have a scorer like Kevin Punter, history can be rewritten in a single, unforgettable night.

 

Key Performances of the Past Week:

Kevin Punter vs Baskonia

Kevin Punter nights tend to blur together in the mind because the shots all look the same. Hard shots. Late shots. Shots that feel like they shouldn’t go in until they do, again and again, until the scoreboard starts to feel personal. Against Baskonia, Punter authored one of those performances that forces you to recalibrate what “normal” looks like for an elite EuroLeague scorer.

Forty-three points will always jump off the page, but it’s the way he got there that deserves the real pause. Nineteen shot attempts. One turnover. Twelve makes from the field, four from deep, and a perfect seven trips to the line. That is not just volume scoring, that’s surgical efficiency layered on top of controlled aggression. Two rebounds, two assists, two steals, and almost no wasted possessions. Every touch felt intentional.

Barcelona needed every ounce of it. Depth mattered, especially as mistakes piled up in the second overtime, but having one of the best scorers in the EuroLeague is a cheat code in games that drift toward chaos. When execution frays, when structure bends, Kevin Punter is the emergency button. You press it, and suddenly the game is back within reach.

In truth, the 43 points themselves weren’t shocking. Scoring is what Punter has done for years. The surprise was the economy. Scoring that much while taking only 19 shots and giving the ball away just once places this outing in rare historical company. It wasn’t just a hot night, it was one of the most efficient high-usage scoring performances the EuroLeague has seen.

Some players carry teams with noise. Punter did it with precision. And by the end, Baskonia didn’t lose to Barcelona’s system or their depth. They lost to a scorer who turned a long workday into a masterclass.

Elijah Bryant vs Crvena Zvezda

Elijah Bryant didn’t have the loudest box score of the week, and this wasn’t the kind of performance that hijacks the entire conversation. But it mattered and sometimes that’s the sharper point.

Against Crvena Zvezda, Bryant poured in 28 points in a huge win and layered it with nine rebounds and five assists. Solid numbers, sure, but they only sketch the outline. The real value showed up late, when possessions got heavier and the game demanded calm instead of chaos. That’s where Bryant took over, slowing the tempo when it needed slowing, pressing when the window cracked open.

He wasn’t just scoring, he was steering. He picked his spots, made the right reads, and kept the game from slipping into something Zvezda could control. That kind of command rarely makes the highlight reel, but coaches and teammates feel it immediately.

Was it the best performance of the week? Probably not. There was at least one player who burned even brighter. But Bryant’s night deserves a nod because winning basketball often lives in these spaces, where timing, poise, and decision-making carry just as much weight as pure shot-making.

 

Standings Watch:

Don’t look now, but FC Barcelona is climbing. Five straight wins under Xavi Pascual have pushed the Catalans all the way up into a share of the lead with Hapoel and that alone changes the temperature of the season. Momentum matters in this league, not just because of confidence, but because the margin for error is microscopic. One good run can lift you into the penthouse. One bad week can drop you into the noise.

And the noise is loud right now. Five teams are sitting on 10 wins, all staring at the same problem: only two of those slots come with the luxury of a direct playoff ticket. The rest are headed for stress, tiebreakers, and nights where every possession feels like it weighs a ton. This is where separation starts to mean something. Who blinks first, who strings together another run, and who gets swallowed by the pack.

Lower down, the math gets uglier. Baskonia, Efes, and Partizan are all already three wins off the last Play-In spot. In EuroLeague terms, that’s not a gap, it’s a warning sign. There’s no more room for lapses, no more “we’ll fix it next week.” At this point, survival requires a streak. Anything less, and the season starts slipping through your fingers.

 

Week 13 Games to Watch:

Fenerbahçe vs FC Barcelona

Two historical teams, familiar jerseys, familiar weight. Games like this always feel bigger than the standings, but the standings matter a lot here. There are two wins separating Fenerbahçe and Barcelona, with a catch that changes the equation. The Turkish side has a game in hand, which means a Barcelona loss opens the door to being leapfrogged by the defending champions before anyone has time to catch their breath.

This one shapes up as a clash of styles in the cleanest possible sense. Traditional defense versus offense, structure versus creation, patience versus pressure. These are the games where small details snowball. A missed rotation. A late closeout. A single lineup stretch that tilts the rhythm. Neither team needs this to define their season, but both will feel it if it goes the wrong way.

Monaco vs Real Madrid

On the day after Christmas, the EuroLeague delivers the kind of matchup that feels like a gift. Monaco versus Real Madrid, a pairing that has already produced some unforgettable nights and more than a few moments fans would rather forget if they are on the wrong side of it.

The context makes it even sharper. Both teams are tied in the standings, sitting shoulder to shoulder, and a win here does more than add another number to the record. It nudges the trajectory of the season. Confidence. Positioning. Belief that you belong in the top tier when the schedule tightens.

This is one of those games you circle without overthinking it. Talent everywhere. History attached. Stakes that will echo later. A can’t miss game, plain and simple.

 

What’s at Stake:

Is Maccabi for real? That’s the question starting to float around Tel Aviv and it’s no longer a throwaway one. The Yellows are riding a four-game winning streak, and the driver behind it is not some sudden offensive explosion or hot shooting stretch. It’s defense. Real defense.

Over the last four games, Maccabi is posting a 109.8 defensive rating, a number that lives comfortably in elite territory. Put that next to their season-long reality and it jumps off the page. For the year, they’ve been sitting at a league-worst 124.1. That’s not a tweak, that’s a transformation.

So the season pivots on a simple but brutal question. Is this version sustainable? Can they keep defending at this level once opponents adjust, once legs get heavier, once the margin for error tightens? If the answer is yes, even close to yes, then the math changes fast. A real Play-In push suddenly stops sounding optimistic and starts sounding realistic.

 

Biggest News Around EuroLeague

The EuroLeague coaching carousel keeps spinning. FC Bayern and Gordon Herbert have mutually agreed to part ways after a brutal stretch that saw the Bavarians spiral through an eight-game losing streak, landing in 19th place. The last double week, losses against ASVEL and Monaco, was apparently the final straw.

This marks the sixth team to make a coaching change just 17 games into the season. That’s an alarming number, even by EuroLeague standards. The real question now: is this the last domino, or will another team feel the heat before the calendar flips?

 

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 11:

EA7 Milano vs Panathinaikos

Milano, one of the world’s fashion capitals, felt like the perfect runway for EA7 Milano versus Panathinaikos. Big personalities, elite talent, a few surprises, and plenty of moments where the crowd leaned forward in its seat.

The game opened at a sprint. Both teams leaned heavily into pick and roll, but with very different accents. Milano layered their offense with off ball movement before and during the main action, while Panathinaikos simplified things by putting the ball in their guards’ hands and spacing the floor for middle ball screens. Both approaches worked. The defenses had little margin for error, and at the first media timeout it was a one point game, 15 to 14 Milano. Shavon Shields was the early tone setter with eight quick points, but Ataman’s group flipped the switch out of the stoppage. A sharp 7 to 0 run in under two minutes forced Coach Poeta to burn a timeout, with Kenneth Faried doing damage as a roller. After that, scoring became harder to find. Milano’s pick and roll coverage, switching one through four and weakening the ball handler when the screener was the five, finally slowed Panathinaikos down. Not enough to win the quarter, though. Panathinaikos closed the first up 26 to 21.

The second quarter belonged to Milano. Their offense hummed with spacing, movement, layered actions and crisp ball movement. A 15 to 5 burst in just over three minutes swung the lead back to 36 to 31 and forced Ataman into a timeout. The momentum stuck. Milano’s guards dictated the tempo, no small feat against a Panathinaikos guard group like this one. Ellis and Guduric were calm and precise. For the visitors, offensive rebounding was the lifeline, keeping them afloat and fueling a late 7 to 2 run that trimmed the halftime deficit to 54 to 44. Still, the quarter can be summed up with one name. Armoni Brooks. He had 20 points at the break, 17 of them in the second quarter alone, drilling five of six from deep and sending the Unipol Forum into full voice after every make.

The third quarter opened with Shavon Shields grabbing the spotlight again. Five quick points powered a 10 to 2 run, stretching Milano’s lead to 18 with 6:30 left, helped by Panathinaikos turnovers. The response came quickly. Sloukas and Nunn steadied things, cutting the margin to 14 at the next media timeout. But Milano came out sharper after the break in play. LeDay took over, scoring 10 in the quarter, and after a Bolmaro trip to the line the lead swelled to a game high 23. Sloukas beat the buzzer with a midrange jumper, but Milano still entered the fourth firmly in control, 80 to 59.

Panathinaikos opened the final quarter with urgency, pressing full court and forcing two turnovers in the first two possessions. A quick 5 to 0 run prompted Poeta to call timeout less than a minute in. The pressure rattled Milano, the offense lost some flow, and the gap shrank. Then came the stabilizers. Back to back Italian threes pushed the lead back to 18, with Nebo asserting himself on the offensive glass. Panathinaikos refused to fold. Shorts, Sloukas and Juancho combined to pull within 11 in the final two minutes, forcing yet another Milano timeout. The Milano offense stalled late, scoring just one point in the final two and a half minutes. Milano’s defense held just enough to keep the lead from dipping below seven and closed out a 96 to 89 win.

Milano placed four players in double figures, but the night belonged to Armoni Brooks. Twenty six points without a single two point attempt. For Panathinaikos, Sloukas was the most composed presence, finishing with 19 points and seven assists.

Monaco vs Fenerbahçe

The rematch of last season’s EuroLeague final finally arrived, this time in Monaco, and it opened in a strange hush. More than two minutes passed before the first basket, a Talen Horton Tucker score that finally broke the seal. It did not immediately loosen things up. At the first media timeout the scoreboard read 4 to 4, and Fenerbahçe had more offensive rebounds and turnovers than points. Monaco adjusted first, running middle pick and roll with Nikola Mirotic and ripping off a 10 to 0 run. Wade Baldwin IV stopped the drought, but Monaco still closed the quarter ahead 21 to 14.

The second quarter flipped the script. Both teams played faster and scored more efficiently. Kevarrius Hayes changed the game off the bench for Monaco, pouring in 12 points before checking out. Fenerbahçe’s offense bogged down, leaning too heavily on the three ball without results, sitting at one of fifteen from deep midway through the quarter. An after timeout sequence, classic Sarunas Jasikevicius, sparked a run that trimmed the deficit to four and forced Spanoulis to respond. Monaco answered with aggression, attacking the rim and getting to the line, stretching the lead back to eight at halftime. It could have been more, if not for Fenerbahçe’s relentless work on the offensive glass. Eighteen second chance rebounds kept them attached.

Fenerbahçe came out of the locker room determined to go inside. Khem Birch thrived, scoring seven points and leading a 9 to 3 run. Monaco steadied itself with two early threes and, crucially, cleaned up the glass. They allowed just two offensive rebounds in the quarter. It was tight throughout, Monaco edging the frame 23 to 22 and carrying a nine point lead, 69 to 60, into the fourth.

The final quarter turned on one action. Fenerbahçe ran a flat half court set to free Horton Tucker downhill, and everything flowed from there. Monaco committed three turnovers in the first two minutes, and the Turkish side punished them, slicing the lead to four and forcing Spanoulis into a timeout. It did not stop the surge. Fenerbahçe went on a 13 to 0 run to take control. Mike James briefly stemmed the tide with free throws and a layup after a Strazel steal, tying the game at 82 with 3:37 left. That was the last pause. Fenerbahçe closed with nine unanswered points, and Monaco never drew closer than six, falling 92 to 86. The fourth quarter told the story. A 32 to 17 domination, fueled by blistering efficiency, eight of ten on twos and three of four from deep.

Efes vs Valencia

The opening quarter set a physical tone. Valencia edged it 22 to 20, but the real separator was the bench. Valencia’s second unit outscored Efes’ bench 13 to 0. Efes stayed afloat through three point shooting, yet turnovers loomed early, five for Efes against just one for Valencia.

The second quarter exposed Efes’ depth issues. The second unit lacked intensity and offensive clarity, with no true creator to organize possessions. Shot selection suffered on both sides. Defensively, Efes adjusted by denying Valencia’s ball handlers access to screens, removing some of the easy looks from earlier. Offensively, Efes slowed the tempo and crept back within two after trailing by nearly double digits, only to surrender an 8 to 0 Valencia run that restored control heading into halftime.

The third quarter tilted further toward the visitors. Efes could not secure the glass, and Valencia punished them with offensive rebounds and timely threes. Vincent Poirier made his season debut, adding size and physicality. At times he anchored the paint and created space for Courdinier to attack, but Valencia’s pace remained a challenge. Every Efes push was answered, and an 11 to 2 closing run, driven by aggressive defense, put Valencia firmly in charge. Kameron Taylor was outstanding, scoring 11 points in the quarter.

Efes opened the fourth poorly, committing three fouls in the first three minutes and quickly landing in the penalty. Any defensive rhythm vanished. Jaime Pradilla did not dominate the box score, but he dominated the margins, controlling the glass, defending with intensity, and scoring efficiently when needed. It was exactly what Valencia required to see the game out with authority.

Key Performances of the Past Week:

Armoni Brooks vs Panathinaikos

Armoni Brooks delivered one of those nights that pulls everyone closer to the screen, the kind where each release feels pre-approved by the basketball gods. You start asking a dangerous question: can he even miss.

Calling it “on fire” almost undersells it, especially in the second quarter, when Brooks reached that rare zone where shot selection stops mattering and confidence takes over. Pull-ups felt automatic. The crowd reacted before the ball hit the rim because everyone knew where it was going.

Then there’s the box score, which somehow still manages to pop. Twenty six points, twenty of them in the first half, zero attempts from two and eight makes on fourteen three point tries. In an upset. That combination of volume, audacity and efficiency is exactly how a Performance of the Week announces itself.

Will Clyburn vs Olympiacos

Clyburn’s night against Olympiacos felt like a time machine. One of those performances that makes you remember why, at his peak, you wondered how he ever slipped out of the NBA conversation. He poured in 28 points, added three steals, and torched the defense from deep, seven makes on ten attempts. It was forceful, confident, and relentlessly downhill, the full Clyburn package.

Kevin Punter vs Olympiacos

Barcelona’s stars made sure their status was never in doubt. Kevin Punter was the sharp edge of that attack, scoring 24 points with his trademark multi-dimensional scoring. He hit you from everywhere, punished switches, picked pockets with three steals, and even chipped in on the glass with five rebounds. Against one of the league’s best defenses, he looked completely at home.

Tyrique Jones and Duane Washington vs Red Star

Some weeks belong to duos. This was one of them. Tyrique Jones and Duane Washington powered Partizan through the Serbian derby, and they did it with authority. Jones posted a monster line, 30 PIR built on 15 points, eight rebounds and five combined steals and blocks, owning the interior on both ends. Washington kept his scoring momentum rolling, dropping 25 points without a single turnover, drawing six fouls and providing the perimeter punch. Together, they were the engine behind a win that mattered far beyond the standings.

 

Standings Watch:

Don’t look now, but Valencia is sitting in second place. A 10–5 record, real estate near the top of the table, and a season that’s officially blown past preseason expectations. Back then, this looked like a play-in hopeful, penciled around 14th in the Power Rankings. At this point, a handwritten apology letter to Valencia’s headquarters might be in order.

They’ve been consistent, organized, and increasingly confident, stacking wins in a way that doesn’t feel fluky. This isn’t smoke and mirrors. It’s a team that knows who it is and plays that way every night.

On the other side of the standings carousel sits Olympiacos, trending in the opposite direction. Two weeks ago they were second. Now they’re tenth, coming off back-to-back losses and searching for traction. The margin in this league is brutal, and the drop happens fast.

Circle Round 16. Valencia versus Olympiacos. One team climbing, one team slipping, and a standings swing that could tell us a lot about which direction each season is really headed.

 

Week 12 Games to Watch:

EA7 Milano vs Real Madrid

Fresh off a big home win against Panathinaikos, Milano gets no time to exhale. Real Madrid comes to town with the standings looming over everything, because this one is dripping with Play-In implications.

Real sits one win ahead, but the math is cruel. A loss here flips the script, pushing the Whites outside looking in while Milano leapfrogs them. That’s the kind of swing that can define a season in March and haunt you in April. The question is simple and brutal. Can Milano replicate the formula that just worked, or does Real’s sheer weight eventually bend the game their way.

This is the kind of matchup where every possession feels heavier than it should.

Olympiacos vs Valencia

If Olympiacos doesn’t control its possessions, Valencia will do what it just did to Efes. That’s the warning sign flashing before tip. Valencia’s mobility opens up actions that drag Milutinov and Sasha into space, and against a team that lives in pick and roll, those matchups will be hunted relentlessly.

Donta Hall is going to matter here. A lot. But even then, this game tilts on Valencia’s accuracy from three. When Poirier was on the floor, Valencia struggled for stretches, yet they still have bodies to throw at Milutinov and keep the pressure constant.

Defensively, Olympiacos has been one of the league’s best overall, but recent struggles make it hard to imagine a comfortable night. This feels closer, messier, and far more fragile than Olympiacos would like.

Hapoel vs Crvena Zvezda

Two of the best teams, and offensively this one should hum. Shots, pace, confidence. All of it. But the real angle sits beneath the surface.

Red Star has lost twice in a row. After an amazing start, the calendar stiffened, and now with an almost full roster, they’re still searching for the right balance. The talent is there. The rhythm hasn’t fully caught up.

Hapoel, meanwhile, keeps leaning into what it does best, and if this turns into a flow game, it could get loud quickly. Expect points, but also answers. Red Star needs them.

 

What’s at Stake:

Panathinaikos is wobbling, and the timing could not be worse. Two straight defeats have tightened the margins, and now a trip to Istanbul to face the defending champions sits on the horizon. This is the kind of stretch where playoff positioning doesn’t just slip, it evaporates.

The defense has taken a hit in those two games, but the real alarm is on the other end. The offense has fallen off a cliff, producing just 112.8 points per 100 possessions in that span. For context, this is a team that has been cruising at 123.2 for the season. That’s not a small dip, that’s a full system shock. The question hanging over Athens is uncomfortable but unavoidable. Is this just the drag of a mid-season slump, or is something deeper starting to crack?

Virtus, meanwhile, just lost the thing that defined them. Bologna was supposed to be sacred ground. They were undefeated at home, and that invincibility gave them an aura, a strange sense that no matter how much they struggled away from home, they would always get it back with interest in front of their fans. That belief took a hit against Hapoel, the league leaders, and now the standings look far less forgiving.

After a somewhat encouraging start, Virtus is staring at a negative record, and the road ahead is brutal. The next three rounds bring the two Serbian teams and then Olympiacos. That’s not a soft landing. That’s a stretch where momentum can disappear quickly, and seasons quietly unravel. Don’t be surprised if these next weeks end up defining, or undoing, Virtus’ entire 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 10:

Monaco vs Paris

On Thursday, the French Riviera transformed into the French basketball capital as AS Monaco hosted Paris Basketball in EuroLeague Round 14. The Monegasques came out firing, an 8-2 opening run setting the tone, but Paris quickly turned on the turbo. Nadir Hifi led an 8-0 counter, showing why he’s the engine of their backcourt. Yet it was Theis who stole the show early, punishing Paris’ bigs for seven points and dominating the offensive glass, helping Monaco lead 21-16 with just over three minutes left in the first quarter.

Monaco’s pick-and-roll game looked particularly sharp. Screens flipped at the last second, forcing Paris into uncomfortable rotations and creating easy shots. Paris tried to answer after a timeout, trimming the deficit to a single point, but Monaco ended the quarter on top, 35-29. Both teams combined for 8/10 from deep, yet the difference was clear in how those shots were generated: Monaco’s ball movement and collective execution yielded 10 assists to Paris’ three.

Quarter two saw Monaco trying to get Mirotic involved with an Iverson-inspired empty-ball screen, and with Diallo converting trips to the line, the lead ballooned into double digits. Paris’ turnovers compounded the problem with five steals on nine turnovers, and Monaco carried a 58-46 advantage into halftime. Tabellini trusted his rotation, swapping a full five-player unit at once, and while Hifi briefly stemmed the bleeding to cut the deficit to 13, Monaco’s offensive glass and transition play kept them comfortably ahead.

In the second half, Monaco stepped on the gas and never looked back. Guards attacked the paint at will, scoring or facilitating, with Elie Okobo orchestrating masterfully. Defensively, Monaco was decent, allowing 24 points, but excelled at limiting fouls, permitting just nine free throws through three quarters against a team that ranks seventh in free throw frequency. By the end of the third, they led 91-70.

The fourth was a showcase of offensive basketball, with the first eight possessions all producing points. Monaco maintained elite spacing, moved the ball beautifully, and penetrated effectively. Paris stayed competitive, mostly through their guards’ creation, but it wasn’t enough. The game ended 125-104, marking a EuroLeague points record for a game without overtime. Okobo led the charge with 26 points, 8 assists, and 3 steals, supported by four teammates in double digits, including Strazel, who responded to the preseason “guard with more to prove” debate with 22 points and 7 assists. Paris’ top contributors, Robinson, Rhodes, and Hifi, scored 24, 22, and 17 respectively, but no one else reached double digits.

Partizan vs Bayern Munich

Partizan entered the arena under a hailstorm of boos, and the fans didn’t let up for a second. Bayern opened hot, 14-5, exploiting Partizan’s lack of perimeter defense and sluggish rotation on screens, hitting four triples early. The trio of Duane Washington, Tyrique Jones, and captain Marinkovic were jeered even when scoring.

Partizan’s turning point came when Bayern subbed out Voigtman and Da Silva assumed the center role, giving Jones advantages inside. Nick Calathes anchored the defense, slowing Obst off the ball and helping Bayern cool off from deep. By halftime, Bayern led 43-36.

Partizan’s bench contributed heavily, outscoring Bayern’s reserves, and they controlled possessions with just one turnover in the first half compared to Bayern’s six. The third quarter was a statement: Washington unstoppable from deep, Jones dominating the paint, and Partizan’s defense tightened, winning the quarter 28-15.

The fourth was messy. Partizan’s old defensive lapses returned, and the offense stalled at times. Yet, they showed flashes in the final two minutes, with Washington and Jones stepping up. Bayern ultimately survived by two points, outrunning Partizan in crunch time. The win didn’t erase underlying concerns: inconsistency, reliance on isolation plays, and system gaps remain. What won it for Partizan was a mix of careful ball control, six turnovers for them versus 19 for Bayern, and interior dominance, which Bayern simply could not match.

Key Performances of the Past Week:

Darius Thompson

This week the spotlight belongs to Valencia’s PG, Darius Thompson. In Athens, he did everything in his team’s win over Panathinaikos. The Italian-American guard scored 19 points, nine of them in the decisive fourth quarter, on 5/6 from two, 2/5 from three, and a perfect 3/3 from the line. Thompson’s impact went far beyond scoring. He added 8 rebounds, 6 assists, and 2 steals in just 25 minutes, thanks to Pedro Martinez’s rotation patterns, perfectly encapsulating his all-around value.

One great game from a great player on a great team. Thompson was slightly underrated in the preseason but has consistently proven his worth across Europe.

Duane Washington

Despite being booed, Washington played 18 minutes and delivered 22 points, including 5/6 from three, along with 6 assists. His performance raised the question of what could have happened if he had played like this under Obradovic. The attitude was there, and he showed up on defense as well.

Elie Okobo

Monaco’s Okobo was monstrous in their high-scoring win over Paris. He finished with 26 points, 8 assists, 3 steals, and a 39 PIR on 80 percent shooting. It was an NBA-style exhibition in Monaco, and he was the centerpiece.

Nando de Colo

Even as one of Europe’s most seasoned stars, de Colo continues to show his value. Against Hapoel, he was the focal point for Asvel, finishing with 20 points and drawing 6 fouls. The game highlighted his importance. If he had stayed on the floor a little longer, Asvel might have pulled off the win. Targeted by multiple double teams, he still delivered efficiently, a reminder of why he remains indispensable.

 

Standings Watch:

Hapoel took care of business against ASVEL in a game that got tense in the fourth quarter after they trailed by 11. Playing at home, they held on to win, and the timing couldn’t have been better. Crvena Zvezda and Panathinaikos both lost their games, against FC Barcelona and Valencia respectively, allowing Hapoel to retake the top spot in the standings. They are now a game clear of the logjam between second and sixth, where five teams all sit at 9-5.

The Play-In picture is just as compelling. Anadolu Efes, Baskonia, FC Bayern, Paris Basketball, and Partizan are all in a desperate scramble, already three wins back from a Play-In spot. Every game counts, and the clock is ticking.

Valencia is trending in the right direction. Their win over Panathinaikos showcased a team that is faster, smarter, and more cohesive than last season’s Paris Basketball. As Fournier said, Valencia is an upgraded version of Paris, and the results are showing. Sitting fifth, they look poised to continue climbing. Next up is Efes, and the matchup favors Valencia. Efes struggles against high pace, concedes too many points in the paint, and has difficulty defending guards who attack the rim. Expect Valencia’s backcourt to exploit those mismatches and push the tempo in a way that could overwhelm the defending champions.

 

Week 11 Games to Watch:

Virtus vs Hapoel

Virtus Bologna’s home magic is about to be tested. Round 15 pits them against Hapoel, the current leaders of the EuroLeague. Virtus tends to elevate every facet of their game at home, defense, spacing, energy, but Hapoel’s offense has been in a league of its own this season. Can Virtus keep the streak alive, or will Hapoel’s firepower be too much to handle? This one promises to be a clash between home-court grit and league-leading execution.

Serbian Derby: Partizan vs Red Star

If you love historical rivalries, this is the game. Partizan comes off a statement win over Bayern, finally answering their critics after some early-season boos. Red Star, on the other hand, is coming off a loss to Barcelona, snapping their own winning streak. This matchup will hinge on details: turnovers, rotations, and decision-making under pressure. Partizan has been excellent at controlling possessions and protecting the ball, but they allow 40 percent from deep. Red Star, stacked with shooters and now with Graham back, can punish those lapses. The paint battle will also be critical. Motiejunas can slide in and out, and that could stretch Tyrique Jones and Bruno Fernando, especially with Jabari at PF, who’s not the most reliable defender. On paper, Red Star looks like the favorite, but the game will be decided in the minutiae.

Monaco vs Fenerbahçe

This is a rematch nobody has forgotten. Monaco and Fenerbahçe face off for the first time since the 2025 EuroLeague Final, and the Monegasques are looking for revenge on their home floor. Fenerbahçe, coming off a week of rest, is riding a six-game winning streak.

Net rating tells part of the story: Monaco, statistically the best team, meets Fenerbahçe, the hottest team in the league right now. This game has everything: history, rivalry, elite talent. Best offense against best defense. It could get ugly, because Monaco has shown they can roll up their sleeves on defense, while Fener needs to step up offensively. Monaco controls their possessions beautifully, averaging only 10 turnovers per game. Fener, ranked 18th in offense, will have to navigate a near-perfect defensive system to climb the ladder.

 

What’s at Stake:

Partizan is back in the headlines, and it is not just about basketball. Zeljko Obradovic, in an interview with Zona Press, opened up about why he resigned from what he called his “greatest love.” The story reads like a cautionary tale about management, ego, and public pressure.

Obradovic did not hold back. He called out President Ostoja Mijailovic multiple times, from first accepting his resignation and then reversing course, perhaps bowing to public pressure, to signing players without Zeljko’s approval, like Desan Osetkowski. “Osetkowski was not signed with my approval,” he said, “but I must say he is a very valuable kid. He worked and behaved like a real professional.” There were even seemingly small slights, such as being lied to about airplane seating, which Obradovic highlighted as part of the bigger picture of disconnect.

Yet even in resignation, he found space to praise the fans, urging them not to forget that they are Partizan’s backbone, the one thing the club cannot live without, and expressing hope that this is not the end of his Partizan story.

The coaching job remains up for grabs, and the club is not rushing a decision. The dynamic between fans and players is fragile. Two of Partizan’s best players have been booed heavily, which shows the relationship is complicated. If the team keeps winning, things may settle, but the first real stumble or a bad loss will likely expose lingering tensions.

 

EuroLeague Headlines:

The EuroLeague clock rolled over another month, and with it came a new Monthly MVP. Kenneth Faried, in his first month back in Europe, claimed the award. The Manimal is back, but was it truly an MVP-worthy performance?

Statistically, Faried has been excellent. He is averaging 13.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, 2 blocks, and a 19.8 PIR per game. Those are elite numbers, no question, but we all know box scores only tell part of the story. MVPs demand impact beyond the raw stats, and that is where the debate begins.

Offensively, Faried has been a force. Panathinaikos’ offensive rating jumps by 19.4 points when he is on the floor, the sixth-best mark among bigs in November. He is extremely efficient on rim attempts with a 2PPS, although his frequency in those attempts is just average at the 52nd percentile. His paint scoring efficiency sits at 1.00 PPS, despite him ranking in the 99th percentile for paint attempt frequency. The volume helps hide some inefficiency. He is also a dominant offensive rebounder, pushing Panathinaikos into the 99th percentile in OREB% and increasing the team’s offensive rebounding by 5.6 percent.

Defensively, the story is different. Faried blocks two shots per game, which places him in the 96th percentile, yet his overall defensive impact is negative. Panathinaikos allows 24 more points per 100 possessions with him on the floor, and only five bigs in the league have a worse impact.

Faried is a good player with a clear positive impact, but whether this qualifies as an MVP-level month is debatable, especially for someone who does not create offense for himself.

Baskonia has quietly added Gytis Radzevicius, a former Rytas Vilnius standout. This is not flashy news, but Radzevicius has the potential to become one of the best role players from last EuroBasket. He can guard any perimeter player full court, apply high-intensity pressure, and bring defensive consistency to Baskonia. He is a reliable three-point shooter as well. On the other hand, Hamidou Diallo is leaving for China, taking his 12 points per game with him. Radzevicius will not replace Diallo’s scoring, but expect better defensive cohesion and improved shooting efficiency.

Monte Morris is expected to join Olympiacos, potentially filling a long-standing void at the guard position. He will need time to adapt, but his limited NBA minutes showed he can score at the highest level while taking care of the ball. In Denver, he averaged 10-12 points per game while only turning it over once per 30 minutes of play. He has a career three-point percentage of 39 percent, though on very few attempts. Morris is an upgrade over the guards currently available to Olympiacos. He can score, pass, drive, and be a consistent offensive threat. His size may pose some defensive challenges alongside Sasha, but he is a solid on-ball defender and should integrate quickly.

 

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 9:

Hapoel vs Real Madrid (74-75)

Botevgrad, Bulgaria turned into a neutral-site pressure cooker, and the traveling fans got the kind of chaotic, high-level theater you hope for when the EuroLeague drops anchor in an unexpected port.

Both coaches tinkered with the starting groups: Hezonja and Okeke replaced Deck and Lyles for Real, while Hapoel countered with Wainright over Mobley. Hapoel opened by feeding the Chris Jones (PnR machine) seven of the team’s first twelve, yet the early rhythm was more ping-pong than punch. Real answered by dragging Hezonja to the block, and the Croatian happily feasted for six straight. On the other end, Real’s tweaks in PnR coverage, weakening ball handlers, finally bit helping them close Q1 up 22–18.

And Real didn’t let go. A 6-0 burst stretched the lead to ten, forcing Hapoel into a smaller, switch-everything look with Wainright at the five and Malcolm glued to the Lyles matchup like Velcro. Scariolo countered with his 3-2 zone, but that didn’t slow the Israelis either: a 5-0 run in under three minutes forced Tavares back onto the floor to stabilize things. Malcolm buried a three to shave the deficit to one, but Los Blancos leaned on the offensive glass, four O-boards to none, to protect a 39-36 halftime lead. Hapoel’s issue was structural: only nine two-point attempts all half, compared to sixteen from deep.

The second half opened with Real revealing their full duality: perfect shooting (3/3 from deep) and a pile of self-inflicted turnovers (three in the same window). Hapoel steadied themselves through the Micic–Oturu two-man game and after an Oturu block, Bryant went coast-to-coast to give them the lead. Real found Lyles in the post for a kick-out three to take it back, but that sparked an 8-0 Hapoel reply, Motley and Blakeney from deep, Micic slicing to the rim, flipping momentum and forcing Scariolo into a timeout. His guys responded with an 8–0 run of their own to reclaim a 60–58 edge entering the fourth despite six turnovers in the quarter, matching their entire first-half total.

Real built on that surge, scoring five straight out of the break, until Micic, using the full bag, got to the rim to stop the bleeding. With Garuba anchoring, Real switched everything and shaded extra bodies toward isolations, briefly throwing Hapoel off, but the Israelis’ guards solved the puzzle quickly. With Hezonja back, Real returned to the block actions, only this time Hapoel brought sharp doubles and cashed in with a transition layup to break a tie with three minutes left.

Tavares hit both at the line, then a sloppy Hapoel turnover turned into a Deck layup for a two-point Real edge entering crunch time. Itoudis tried going ultra-small with Bryant at the four with three guards, but Hezonja blew it up, jumping a passing lane and hammering home the dunk that swung the game to two possessions with under two minutes left. Motley answered with a three to cut it to one, but the scoreboard froze from there; Real walked out of the leader’s home with a win.

Hezonja led the charge with 19 and the game-breaking steal-and-slam, but the real separator was in the margins: second-chance points, 13-4.
Hapoel put four scorers in double digits, but in a wire-to-wire knife fight, they ran out of edges.

 

Crvena Zvezda vs Olympiacos (91-80)

Olympiacos opened the game like they hit snooze on the team bus. Zvezda threw the first punch, 8-2 and after a pair of baffling Ward turnovers, the Serbians threw another. Their defensive aggression was so extreme that Olympiacos found themselves running pick-and-rolls at half court, getting trapped at every screen, coughing up steals and generally looking startled.

On offense, Zvezda spammed Spanish PnR to drag Milutinov out of the paint, opening runway for Moneke to attack Vezenkov curling off pindowns. Olympiacos sputtered with five early turnovers until Fournier stepped off the bench with his trademark microwave scoring to settle things. Walkup, meanwhile, was a non-entity on offense, going under every screen during a cold-shooting night will do that.

Olympiacos tried to supersize in the final minutes of the first quarter, but the scoring issues persisted. The second period flipped the mirror: Zvezda’s half-court defense held firm, but they were getting crushed on the defensive glass. Olympiacos ended the half with more offensive rebounds than Zvezda had defensive ones, which single-handedly kept them afloat. Fournier carried his spark into an 11-point first half with three triples. Both sides committed double-digit turnovers, but Olympiacos somehow reached halftime up one.

Olympiacos opened the third with an eight-point push: getting stops, running and letting Dorsey and Sasha heat up from deep. Zvezda looked rattled until Obradovic hit timeout and suddenly the Serbians flipped the script, turning Olympiacos over and running it right back at them to cut the lead to four. Zvezda struggled against Olympiacos’ switching, hunting Milutinov and settling for isos, but Milutinov held his ground and the lead stretched toward double digits.

Then the fourth quarter flipped everything again. Zvezda pressed like they did in the first half and Olympiacos obliged by committing the same collection of head-scratchers. Jared Butler breathed life into the offense by refusing to settle, and when he and Graham buried back-to-back transition threes, Zvezda swung an 8-0 run into a two-point lead with eight minutes left. Bartzokas probably needed a timeout after the first one; skipping it only cranked the Belgrade volume up another level.

Zvezda kept leaning on mismatches and elite guard play, and Olympiacos never found their counters. They missed opportunities to find Milutinov late and Hall offered no support on either end. Zvezda’s offense wasn’t spectacular outside the three-point shooting, but the defense was: 17 Olympiacos turnovers told the story.

And with Graham debuting, Zvezda had the luxury of adding an elite piece to a group already humming without him.

 

Fenerbahçe vs Virtus (66-64)

A sold-out Ulker Sports and Event Hall braced for a heavyweight clash between the champs and Virtus Bologna and got a low-scoring, defensive rock fight that still delivered tension until the final horn.

The opening 2:20 looked like both teams were shooting at baskets with lids on them, before Carsen Edwards finally cracked through. Fenerbahçe spent the early minutes trying to attack the Virtus guards, Vildoza and Edwards, using guard-to-guard screens or forcing switches to punish them on the block. But even with advantages created, they couldn’t convert. Virtus didn’t fare much better; their attempts to exploit switches devolved into Edwards isolations without payoff. With Smailagic out, Dusko threw Niang at the five early, but two quick fouls on Bacot Jr sent him right back to the bench. Virtus escaped Q1 ahead 17-15.

With Morgan entering, Virtus leaned on off-ball actions to free him, but Fenerbahçe top-locked and disrupted everything. Both offenses struggled, combining for 22/66 shooting (33%) in the half as Virtus took a 31-30 lead into the break.

The second half opened just as slowly, four total points in the first two and a half minutes, before a Vildoza triple nudged the rhythm back toward basketball. Shots started falling, teams traded counters, and Virtus found a useful wrinkle: the boomerang pass to get Morgan attacking a big after a switch. Baldwin IV answered with a three to give Fenerbahçe a 50–47 lead entering the fourth, with free throws (9/9 vs 6/10) as the difference.

Both coaches adjusted to start the final quarter: Dusko paired Morgan and Edwards, though Morgan picked up a foul after 30 seconds; Saras countered with Colson at the four and Jantunen at the five. Dusko’s group won the early minutes, opening on a 6–2 run behind Edwards. Baldwin IV scored Fener’s first four of the quarter, a preview of the takeover ahead, before Bonzie Colson ignited the arena, stealing an inbound and drilling a three to tie it at 57, forcing a Virtus timeout.

Dusko went with a three-guard look (Vildoza/Edwards/Morgan) and got a clean Horns-into-pindown action for an Edwards middy to break the tie. Fener answered through Baldwin IV: a contested three despite shaky spacing, then a trip to the line to build a three-point cushion. Virtus came back with a sharp ATO, floppy for Morgan, for two free throws, then another baseline action to free him for a three to even it up after Baldwin’s free throws.

Fenerbahçe ball, tie game, under a minute: Baldwin hunted the Diouf switch, rose for the midrange, missed, but Nicolò Melli, the ultimate detail guy, used his size to tip it in for a two-point lead with 45 seconds left. Virtus still had a chance, but Melli showed up again, switched onto Edwards, drew an offensive foul on a DHO attempt, and gave his team the ball back with 37 seconds.

Baldwin returned to the same script, Diouf switch, midrange, but this time he chased down his own miss, played keep-away from Virtus’ fouling attempts and bled the clock dry to secure the 66–64 win.

Baldwin IV finished with 18-11 in the final quarter, the driving force late. Morgan led Virtus with 13, Edwards added 11 on a tough night (3/16), but the road magic didn’t follow them once again.

 

Key Performances of the Past Week:

Mario Hezonja vs Hapoel

In the biggest game of the round, Mario Hezonja didn’t just show up, he took over the room, dimmed the lights and told everyone else to sit down. The Croatian forward was the brightest star on the floor, and the timing of his punches mattered just as much as their impact.

Hezonja went 5-of-6 from two, splashed in two threes, grabbed six boards, and swiped three steals. But the headline wasn’t the stat line, it was the sequencing. He dropped 11 points in the first quarter, single-handedly powering Real to the four-point lead that ended up being the hinge moment of the entire night. It was the only quarter Los Blancos actually won, and Hezonja was the reason they didn’t walk into halftime digging out of a crater.

He’s one of the most polarizing players in the competition, equal parts game-winner and chaos agent, depending on the night. This time, the needle pointed firmly toward “winner.” Hezonja didn’t just tilt the game; he decided it.

Honorable Mentions

This was one of those rounds where the PIR column read like an all-you-can-eat buffet of big nights.

Kendrick Nunn lit up Partizan with 26 points, hit 75% of his threes, added 7 rebounds and 4 assists, and pretty much scored from everywhere short of the VIP lounge. It was a surgical effort. The only thing holding him back from Performance of the Week? Context. PAO ran Partizan off the floor in a blowout, and those performances, as impressive as they look, lose a bit of edge when the competitive tension evaporates before the fourth quarter arrives.

Then there was Wright IV of Dubai BC, who delivered something far more valuable than a shiny box score: impact in a one-point win over Paris. Wright poured in 24 points, grabbed 5 rebounds, handed out 4 assists, shot 60% from the field and turned into a free-throw machine, going 10-of-11 at the line. And that’s the separator, plenty of guys can fill it up, but getting to the stripe like that is the dividing line between an average scorer and a high-level closer. He was the difference between leaving Paris with a win or a regret.

 

Standings Watch:

EuroLeague finally looks like the chaos machine it was engineered to be. Three wins separate first place from thirteenth. That’s not parity, that’s a pressure cooker, the kind of standings grid where one bad week can knock a team from contender to crisis mode. This is the league at its absolute best, where every possession feels like it carries a month’s worth of consequences.

And if you’re trying to make sense of the standings right now… good luck. The segment itself is a mess because the standings are a mess, don’t get us wrong, a great mess. Six teams: Zalgiris, Monaco, Olympiacos, Valencia, Fenerbahçe and Barcelona are all tied with the same record, jammed between fourth and ninth like rush-hour traffic on a single-lane bridge. Somewhere in EuroLeague headquarters, someone is probably staring at tiebreaker spreadsheets wondering why they didn’t choose a calm, quiet job.

But buried inside this gridlock is the team that deserves a loud spotlight: Fenerbahçe.

After a rocky start, they’ve ripped off five straight wins, climbing all the way into eighth. They’re still dealing with their very real issues at the center spot, and they remain the 18th-ranked team scoring inside, which is never a great thing to have attached to your résumé. And yet, here they are, winning, climbing and suddenly looking like the kind of team no one wants to catch during a hot stretch.

The standings may be a headache for everyone else, but for Fener?
Right now, they’re the ones causing the headache.

 

Week 10 Games to Watch:

Olympiacos vs Fenerbahçe

A proper European classic, two historical giants meeting with identical records and absolutely little margin for error. That’s the kind of setup that makes a game feel big before the ball even goes up.

Fenerbahçe roll into Piraeus riding five straight wins, looking like the team nobody wants to see right now. Olympiacos, meanwhile, have been wobbling, dropping two of their last three. But playing at home, in that building, with that crowd behind them? That usually brings out the best version of Olympiacos.

Everything about this matchup screams “CAN’T MISS!”
Two teams tied in the standings, both with something to prove, both built on cultures that don’t accept losing streaks. Strap in.

 

Monaco vs Paris Basketball

Round 14 delivers a French derby with some real juice. Monaco and Paris both bring elite guard play, pace and a sense that the backcourts are always quietly keeping score against one another. The Strazel vs Hifi dynamic is becoming its own subplot, two guards who always seem like they have something to prove when the other is on the floor.

 

Panathinaikos vs Valencia

If offense is your thing, this is the one you circle in bright neon ink.

Valencia play a fast, collective, relentlessly fun brand of basketball. Panathinaikos bring their own offensive identity, fueled by dynamic guard play and that unmistakable OAKA energy that tends to turn routine games into events.

One of the most exciting matchups this season on pure aesthetic value.
For anyone who loves offense, pace, or guards running wild, this is a must watch.

 

What’s at Stake:

Paris Basketball are in a full-on free fall and the standings aren’t exactly offering a soft landing. Six rounds into the season, they were sitting pretty at 4–2, flashing a real defensive backbone and looking like one of the league’s early surprises. Since then? One win in eight games and the slide has been loud.

The numbers tell the story with blunt honesty. That early-season defense, a league-best 111.6 DRTG, has turned into a middling 118.3, good for 11th at the moment. Combine that with an offense that’s been below average from day one and you get exactly what the record says: a team struggling to keep its head above water.

The scoring burden is almost exclusively on the guards.
Hifi (20.7 ppg) and Robinson (16.5 ppg) are the only reliable creators in sight. No other player is above 10 points per game and not a single frontcourt player is clearing even eight. It’s hard to survive in this league with that sort of imbalance, especially when teams have already adjusted to Paris’ early-season defensive surprise.

If they don’t address the scoring problem, they’ll be looking at the Play-In from the wrong side of the glass.

And then there’s the other pressure point across the league: coaches’ jobs. The season hasn’t even hit its deepest stretch, and we’ve already seen four departures, Zeljko, Penarroya, Messina and Kokoskov. Head coaches are always the first to take the hit and this year has been no different.

If FanDuel had a “Which coach is next?” prop, it would probably be one of the most emotional lines on the board.

If you’re asking where the heat is highest, the answer might surprise some: Bartzokas. It sounds wild at first, but Olympiacos invested too much, waited too long and expects too big to settle for anything less than at least one EuroLeague title under his watch. The team isn’t playing at its peak, and they don’t look like the classic Olympiacos group thriving inside his system. That’s why this season matters so much, they need to win. Otherwise this might be his last chance at the job.

There are rumblings around the Dubai BC position as well, but that’s a new project with a long runway. Golemac probably gets more time, as new projects usually do.

The stakes everywhere else? They’re rising by the week and every loss feels just a little heavier than the one before.

 

EuroLeague Headlines:

Coaching changes are part of the basketball ecosystem and the EuroLeague is no exception, but every now and then you get a week so wild it feels like the sport tilts a little. This one delivered the dismissal of a former NBA coach in Igor Kokoskov, plus two of the greatest European coaches of all time: Zeljko Obradovic and Ettore Messina, all gone in rapid succession. Even by EuroLeague standards, that’s seismic.

The Kokoskov firing is the simplest story of the three. First season, a roster filled with talent, results that never matched it and a team sitting two wins off the Play-In. That math usually ends one way. The Serbian coach got axed without much mystery or mythology.

Messina and Zeljko? Those are different chapters entirely. Messina essentially dismissed himself from the head-coaching role, while staying on as GM for EA7 Milano and he did it while tied with Real Madrid for the last Play-In spot. If this turns out to be the end of his coaching career, nobody can say it wasn’t a historic run. One of the true giants of the European game stepping away on his own terms, mid-battle, still feels surreal.

And then there’s Zeljko Obradovic, whose situation somehow out-dramaticed them all. The Partizan legend resigned, walked back into Belgrade and was showered with love so warm it felt like a coronation. Then came the twist: the board refused to accept his resignation. Meeting after meeting, attempt after attempt to change his mind, all met with the same answer. If this truly marks the end of an era, it ends exactly as you’d expect for Zeljko: emotional, complicated and bigger than basketball.

Zeljko is one of the last names in Europe that stands taller than the sport itself and now he’s out of his team. He gave Partizan a pair of memorable runs: the EuroCup days in 2021–22, then that first year back in the EuroLeague with that special core that felt perfectly balanced, perfectly bought-in, perfectly Zeljko. He could never assemble the same mix of talent and uncompromising role stars again and the cracks eventually showed. Things simply aren’t going well for the black-and-white of Belgrade anymore and the next chapter is suddenly wide open.

Who comes next? Maybe Trinchieri. Maybe someone we aren’t even talking about yet. The Efes seat is still open too. At this point you just lean back and wait, the coaching carousel is moving and it feels like it’s nowhere near done spinning.

 

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 8:

Anadolu Efes vs FC Barcelona

Istanbul hosted the opening game of the round, and the spotlight was on the start of a new Xavi Pascual era on Barcelona’s bench.

The game opened slow. Both teams struggled to get shots to fall until Isaia Cordinier, in an isolation, scored the first points of the night. Barcelona looked to feed Clyburn in the low post, but it was Vesely who made the early impact, scoring 8 of the team’s first 11 points without a miss. Anadolu had a different plan: attack Barcelona’s bigs in the pick-and-roll, and it worked well enough for them to lead 19-18 at the end of the first quarter.

The second quarter kept the same pattern. Baskets were traded until Nico Laprovittola went on a 5-0 run. Efes went to the middle PnR to stop the bleeding but managed only 2 points before Barcelona responded with a 7-2 run, capped by a Hernangomez score that forced a Kokoskov time-out. Efes found ways to score, with Cordinier adding 8 points in the final five minutes, but Barcelona’s bigs, Hernangomez in particular, kept them honest, helping the Culés to a 46-35 halftime lead. The numbers told the story: Barcelona had six offensive rebounds, turned the ball over only 4 times versus Efes’ 8, and racked up 13 assists compared to Efes’ 7.

Efes struck first in the second half. Loyd hit a 2+1 to cut the lead to 5 and drew Shengelia’s third foul. Shengelia, who scored Barcelona’s first 4 points of the quarter, wasn’t enough to stop Efes’ surge, including a Dessert lob dunk off a middle PnR. Efes dominated the quarter 23-9, finishing ahead 58-55. Barcelona struggled: four turnovers, only three made field goals, and 0/7 from three.

The fourth quarter became a back-and-forth battle. Pascual drew from his playbook, with Brizuela hitting a three and Willy Hernangomez active in the paint, putting Barcelona back in front with 7:15 to play. Efes answered, Osmani converting a tap-in after a missed free throw to push the lead to five. Barcelona rallied, taking a one-point lead with just over two minutes remaining. Loyd tied it with a split pair at the line with 1:50 remaining. Satoransky hit a corner three to break the tie briefly, but Dessert calmly made two free throws, cutting the deficit to one. On the next trip, Cordinier drove, drew a foul with .3 seconds to go, and calmly hit both free throws to seal a 74-73 win.

Efes had five players in double figures, a depth advantage that proved decisive. For Barcelona, only the bigs showed up statistically: Vesely with 16 and Hernangomez with 10. In the end, Efes’ collective scoring and late-game composure edged out the Catalans in a game full of adjustments, strategies and drama.

 

Asvel vs Monaco

Some games don’t unfurl so much as they clank their way into existence, and this one opened with the full symphony of misfires and miscues. Both teams stumbled out of the gate, but the spotlight naturally swung toward Thomas Heurtel, playing his first EuroLeague minutes since his departure, coming off the bench to stabilize things… and instead bringing equal parts clarity and chaos. Monaco, for their part, played with all the urgency of a Tuesday walkthrough. Five turnovers and just 14 points in the first quarter told the story.

Asvel, though? They were staying afloat by doing the basketball equivalent of bailing water with both hands. They snagged eight offensive rebounds in the first quarter alone, because creating a shot off the dribble was basically a myth at that point. Monaco’s defensive approach was simple: go under every pick-and-roll. Shaq Harrison can’t hurt you from deep, and none of his teammates looked interested in disproving that (0% from three in the quarter).

Monaco finally woke up in the second, more intensity, more juice and finally some threes falling. Only one turnover in the quarter, even though Asvel kept switching every screen with a taller, mobile lineup. But all that switching opened the paint like a gift box. Mike James tore apart mismatches, dragged Asvel’s centers into foul trouble, and Monaco just kept pounding it inside.

Asvel’s offensive issues? Same script, just louder. Fifteen turnovers by halftime.
Zero made threes (0/13).
Eight made twos (8/24).
Their real scoring engine was the offensive glass: another seven O-boards in the second quarter, 15 in the half. And, to their credit, they went after every loose ball like it owed them money.

Halftime brought the quote of the night. Asked what Asvel was missing, Pierric Poupet shrugged it off with a wonderfully blunt: “just play basket.”
In a way, he wasn’t wrong.

But the third quarter stretched Monaco’s cushion. The threes kept falling at a respectable clip, and while Asvel found a little more scoring, they couldn’t string together stops. Every basket they scratched out was answered by Monaco with ease. Heurtel checked back in and this time brought that veteran steering wheel, pairing nicely with EL rookie Vautier to give Asvel’s pick-and-roll game some actual life. He even hit Asvel’s first three of the night, on attempt number 18 to trim the deficit to 20.

Still, the switching defense kept hurting them, giving Monaco matchup advantages on every trip. Asvel scored 19 in the quarter, which was nearly their entire first-half output but they surrendered 30.

The fourth quarter? A remix of the previous 30 minutes. Asvel made just two more threes the rest of the way, Monaco didn’t exactly light up the scoreboard either, but the divide in talent and creation was baked into every possession. Asvel had more offensive rebounds, more second-chance opportunities, and even took fewer shots than Monaco, but they had to work twice as hard to get anything clean. Monaco didn’t.

And that’s the problem. Poupet deserves goals loftier than just “exist in EuroLeague,” but this roster isn’t doing him many favors.

Monaco brought production from the entire roster. Mike James and Nikola Mirotic both finished with 12 and plenty of teammates chipped in. Asvel’s top scorers? Seven points: Heurtel, Seljaas and Watson. That’s the whole list.

Sometimes a game is defined by tactics or adjustments or late-game orchestration.
This one was defined by talent and the gap in it.

 

Real Madrid vs Zalgiris

Madrid doesn’t always give you drama, but when it does, it delivers the full telenovela package. Real Madrid and Zalgiris turned the biggest game of the round into a gripping, late-night roller coaster, lead changes, wild swings, late-game shot-making and a finish that felt like it was running on caffeine and chaos.

From the opening tip, Zalgiris had a clear idea: drag Walter Tavares into space, force him to defend laterally, and see if they could pry Real out of their comfort zones. Real countered by leaning heavily on the Spain pick-and-roll, letting Facundo Campazzo run the show like he had the remote in his hand. He accounted for 14 of Real’s first 18 points before heading to the bench, directing traffic, hunting mismatches and spearheading the pressure defense that helped open an 18–8 cushion with just over three minutes left in the first.

But the moment Campazzo sat, Zalgiris exhaled and punched back with an 8-4 run to trim the quarter deficit to six. They shot just 1-of-6 from deep, while Real’s entire offensive identity in the first 10 minutes could be summarized as: attack the rim, attack the rim again, shoot one three, repeat. It worked well enough for a 22–16 edge.

The second quarter opened with a Real Madrid burst, two Zalgiris turnovers in two possessions, a quick 4-0 run, and an emergency timeout from coach Masiulis. The reset worked: Zalgiris nailed back-to-back threes. But Francisco picked up his second foul with 6:10 left, and everything unraveled. Theo Maledon carved up the Lithuanian defense, getting downhill with ease, and Real entered halftime up 43-37 without hitting a single three (0/4). Zalgiris’ five live-ball turnovers in the half were the kind that turn coaches prematurely gray.

Then came the swing.

Zalgiris stormed out of the locker room with an 8–1 run in two minutes, finally grabbing the lead. Real stopped the bleeding with an Abalde three, their first of the night, but Tubelis took over the quarter. He bottled up Lyles, scored efficiently, and powered Zalgiris to a 54-47 advantage with just under five minutes in the period. Then Francisco picked up his third foul. Back to the bench he went. And back came Real Madrid.

Sergio Scariolo dusted off the 3-2 zone, and it worked like a charm: a 10-4 Real run built off Zalgiris’ lack of downhill creation without Francisco. After 30 minutes: 62-62. A deadlock with the tension of a Champions League knockout.

Then came the fourth, where both teams started landing punches like it was the final round of a title fight. No empty possessions until the 4:55 mark, a Francisco turnover and Maledon and Campazzo took turns rewriting the script. Maledon manipulated the Zalgiris defense like a seasoned puppeteer, but then Campazzo went full supernova: a scoring burst that pushed Real ahead by eight with 2:22 remaining, forcing another Zalgiris timeout.

The response? Back-to-back threes. Lead cut to two. And still Campazzo kept coming.

Real nudged it to a two-possession game, but Francisco drilled a quick three. Maledon answered with a 2+1. Ulanovas responded with his 2+1. Suddenly the gap was back to one. Then came the chaos sequence: Real came up empty, a controversial offensive foul on Lo, two technicals on the Zalgiris bench and two made free throws later the lead ballooned to three. Lyles added two more. Real by five.

Francisco, because of course, hit another three. Two-point game, 10 seconds left.

Zalgiris gambled on the trap, and Real punished it with a wide-open Lyles layup. But Francisco simply refused to blink, splashing yet another three to cut it back to one with 2.6 seconds left. Campazzo was fouled, missed both, and the entire building inhaled as Brazdeikis launched a prayer from behind half court.

It missed.
Real Madrid survived.
100-99.

A heavyweight brawl, one more reminder of how fragile margins can be when stars start trading haymakers. Madrid got the win, but Zalgiris left the floor with nothing to regret, except maybe being born a few centimeters short on that final heave.

 

Key Performances of the Past Week:

Sylvain Francisco vs Real Madrid

Sometimes a performance is so outrageous, so defiant, so bursting with competitive fire that even the home crowd, one of the toughest, most demanding fanbases in Europe, just throws its hands up and applauds. That was Sylvain Francisco in Madrid.

The box score says 33 points and 11 assists, a monster double-double in one of the hardest arenas to thrive in. But the numbers only hint at the electricity he generated. He was super efficient, hitting 3-of-6 inside the arc and an absurd 7-of-9 from deep, including three daggers in the final 80 seconds that felt like he was trying to single-handedly pry the game open with a crowbar. Every time Real tried to breathe, Francisco threw another punch.

The playmaking was just as sharp. His pick-and-roll reads sliced Real’s coverages wide open, touch the paint, collapse the defense, kick to shooters, drop it off to the big. Rinse, repeat, panic the defense. He made it look easy, which is the ultimate sign that it very much wasn’t.

And then the moment that elevates a great stat night into a great memory: when Francisco fouled out, the Real Madrid fans, the same ones who boo legends when they feel like it, rose to their feet and clapped. Respecting greatness when they saw it. Respecting a performance that almost stole the game from them. Respecting a guard who played like he had no intention of leaving that court quietly.

A loss on the standings. A win for anyone who loves competitive basketball. A night where Francisco didn’t just play, he owned the spotlight.

 

Standings Watch:

Partizan’s season has entered that uneasy stage where fans stop obsessively refreshing the standings and start studying them like war maps. Four wins in twelve games, buried in the bottom four and already two games off the Play-In pace. But it’s not just the gap, it’s the traffic jam of teams stacked between them and those postseason lifelines. Partizan doesn’t just need wins; they need a minor continental miracle.

The numbers don’t offer much comfort. Bottom five in both offensive and defensive rating, that’s a double-red flag usually reserved for rebuilding teams, not a Zeljko Obradovic roster brimming with expectations and pedigree. They’re struggling to generate efficient offense, string together stops, or even look like the kind of bully they were supposed to be.

This is the point in the season that forces the existential question: can Zeljko pull another rabbit out of the hat? If anyone in Europe has earned the right to inspire late-season faith, it’s him. But right now, Partizan isn’t just losing games, they’re losing the underlying statistical battles that indicate whether a turnaround is sustainable.

The Grobari still believe he can fix it. The standings? They’re starting to whisper that time is running out.

 

Week 9 Games to Watch:

Hapoel vs Real Madrid

Week 9 doesn’t ease you in, it throws you straight into a heavyweight matchup with real “circle this on the calendar” energy. Hapoel, the lone leader of the competition and the team playing the most complete basketball so far, gets Real Madrid at home. That’s not just a game; that’s a tone-setter for the entire round.

Hapoel has been a machine to this point, sporting a league-best +10 NET Rating and looking every bit like the team that understands exactly who it is and how it wants to play. They impose their rhythm, they control possessions, and when they hit their stride, opponents spend entire quarters trying to claw their way back to neutral.

Real Madrid, meanwhile, arrives in that familiar space where their defense is sturdy but the offense still feels like it’s tapping the brakes. And yet, this is the part that feels almost unfair, Los Blancos live for nights like this. They’ve built an entire decade of dominance on showing up in high-pressure environments, absorbing the punch from a challenger, and responding with a deliberate, almost inevitable slow burn of winning basketball.

So here we are: the early juggernaut against the perennial champion, the team with all the metrics vs. the team with all the muscle memory. Who comes out on top in this can’t-miss game?

 

Crvena Zvezda vs Olympiacos

Belgrade Arena is going to sound like it’s running on jet engines when Crvena Zvezda hosts Olympiacos in Round 13, and for good reason. This is a matchup with real standings weight behind it, second vs. third, two teams staring directly at each other across the top tier of the table, fully aware that this isn’t just another midseason checkpoint. Games like this linger. They shape tiebreakers, playoff routes, and the psychology of who actually belongs in that upper crust.

Both teams are built from the back forward: elite defensive groups that bend games in their direction possession by possession, then layer on an offense that, while not flashy for the sake of it, is comfortably above average and ruthlessly efficient when it matters. There’s a kind of mirrored tension here, two rosters that pride themselves on toughness, discipline, and forcing opponents into uncomfortable decisions.

Put that inside a Belgrade crowd and you have a recipe for one of those EuroLeague nights where the atmosphere becomes part of the scouting report. This is exactly the sort of game that rewards every fan who cancels plans and settles in.

 

What’s at Stake:

Dubai BC is hovering just outside the Play-In spots at 5-7, and the question on everyone’s mind is simple: when will Dzanan Musa step back onto the court? The Bosnian guard has been day-to-day for a while now, yet the team has managed to stay afloat without their main star. That’s no small feat for a first-year EuroLeague squad.

Offensively, Dubai has been humming, but Musa’s return could unlock another level. His PnR game isn’t just about scoring, it stretches defenses, creates space for the bigs, and takes some pressure off the supporting cast. The timing couldn’t be more crucial: one win separates them from a Play-In berth, and having Musa back sooner rather than later might be the difference between a first-season playoff run and a midtable finish.

It’s a mix of anticipation and urgency. Can Musa return in time to steer this Dubai squad into uncharted waters? For fans and the league alike, it’s a storyline worth watching.

 

EuroLeague Headlines:

Virtus is making their home court a fortress. Five games, five wins, undefeated at home and it’s the reason they’re still hanging in the EuroLeague conversation, tied with Real Madrid and EA7 Milano for the final Play-In spot.

But there’s a catch: staying perfect at home only gets you so far. If Virtus wants to punch a ticket to the postseason, they’ll need to take some of that magic on the road. The question now isn’t just about defending Bologna, it’s whether they can translate that dominance away from their crowd. Can they steal a few games and make their mark, or will that home-only success leave them stranded outside the playoffs? For a team on the bubble, every road trip is suddenly high-stakes.

 

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!