Zalgiris rebounds, Fenerbahçe comes back in Athens

The Euroleague was buzzing this Friday with three matches that wrapped up the seventh round of competition. Zalgiris from Kaunas returned to victory after two consecutive losses, Fenerbahçe completed a remarkable comeback on Greek soil, and Valencia Basket regained confidence after two home setbacks.

Zalgiris dominates from the start against ASVEL

The Zalgiris showed no mercy against ASVEL in Kaunas. The team coached by Tomas Masiulis controlled the game from the first quarter, finishing the first half with a 50-35 lead that practically sealed the match. In the second half, the Lithuanians extended their lead mercilessly, sealing a 105-85 victory that banished the ghosts of the two previous losses.

Carson Edwards was Zalgiris's top scorer with 16 points, supported by Jonas Valanciunas, who not only scored 15 points but also grabbed eight rebounds. Azuolas Tubelis added 14 points, while Saben Lee, in the absence of Nigel Williams-Goss, recorded 12 points and seven assists in a standout performance that showcased the offensive depth of the Lithuanian team.

For ASVEL, Hugo Besson led the visitor's scoring with 13 points, followed by Jae Crowder with 12, while Mark Owen Dada Fodzo contributed ten. However, none of these individual efforts could counteract Zalgiris's collective superiority, which set its pace from the first minute.

Fenerbahçe comes back from 16 points in Athens

Fenerbahçe pulled off one of those comebacks that become historic in European basketball. In Athens, against Olympiacos, the Turkish team faced a mountain of challenges: the hosts limited them to just 24 points in the first half and built a lead that reached 16 points.

But the team coached by Sarūnas Jasikevičius did not give up. Slowly, with patience and ball movement, they began to chip away at the deficit. The comeback was gradual, methodical, until in the final minute they completed a feat that broke the game's patterns. The final score of 64-61 reflected the intensity of a match that was undoubtedly one of the most exciting of the week.

Key players for Fenerbahçe in Athens

Shavon Shields led Fenerbahçe with 17 points, accompanied by Wade Baldwin with 14 and Shane Larkin with 13. On the Olympiacos side, Sasha Vezenkov recorded a double-double with 17 points and ten rebounds, while Codi Miller-McIntyre scored 12 and Tyson Ward contributed 11. The Greek team also had to play without the support of Tyler Dorsey, Jean Montero, and Evan Fournier.

On the final possession, Olympiacos had the chance to force overtime. Sasha Vezenkov found himself completely open, but his shot did not go in. That miss was decisive: Fenerbahçe secured a victory that, beyond the score, represented a statement of intent about their ability to compete in the critical moments.

Valencia regains confidence in Paris

After two consecutive home losses — both against heavyweights like Olympiacos and Maccabi Tel Aviv — Valencia Basket needed to restore their morale. In Paris, against Paris Basketball, they found the perfect opportunity. The French team, although lacking their star Nadir Hifi, battled until the end, but it was not enough to stop the Spaniards.

TJ Shorts was the undeniable star for Valencia. The guard dominated against his former team with 25 points and 8 assists, demonstrating that he knew the ins and outs of the Parisian defense perfectly. Armoni Brooks solidly supported him, helping the team from the Valencian Community secure a 104-93 victory, bringing their record to 5-2 in the standings.

Full round: all results

Beyond these three main matches, the seventh round of the Euroleague had other notable results. Hapoel Tel Aviv defeated Virtus Bologna 90-81, Anadolu Efes overcame Besiktas 89-80, and Bayern Munich fell to Dubai in a surprising result of 91-107. Maccabi Tel Aviv won against Real Madrid 99-113, Panathinaikos defeated Baskonia 85-79, Olimpia Milan lost to Barcelona 81-89, and Partizan edged Crvena Zvezda in an exciting overtime by 85-82.

The standings after this seventh round reflect a highly competitive league. Panathinaikos and Fenerbahçe share the top spot with 6-1, followed by Olympiacos, Valencia Basket, Hapoel Tel Aviv, and Dubai, all at 5-2. Real Madrid, Crvena Zvezda, Barcelona, and Virtus Bologna round out the top ten with 4-3, demonstrating that in the Euroleague any team can aspire to be at the top of the standings if they maintain consistency.

The next round will be crucial in determining who consolidates their positions and who will be forced to react. Zalgiris will look to maintain their recovery, Fenerbahçe will try to capitalize on their epic comeback, and Valencia Basket will want to confirm that their two losses were just a bump in the road.

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Zalgiris resurge, Fenerbahçe remonta en Atenas