At the end of the first double-header week of the season in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague, the Serbian representative Red Star has risen to the top position.In the regular season played in a league format, 18 teams competed in the 3rd week on Tuesday and Wednesday, and in the 4th week on Thursday and Friday.
Representing Turkey, Fenerbahce Beko suffered its first loss of the season by losing 76-57 at home to Red Star in the 3rd week. Two days later, in the 4th week, they faced Alba Berlin in Germany and won 78-71. After four weeks, Fenerbahçe Beko is in 5th place with 3 wins and 1 loss.
Anadolu Efes also achieved one victory in the double-match week. The navy-blue and white team lost 93-91 to Maccabi Playtika in Belgrade during the 3rd week. However, they won against the Greek team Olympiakos at home 91-89, thanks to an impressive performance by Shane Larkin. They completed the 4th week in 9th place with 2 wins and 2 losses.
Red Star Takes the Lead
At the end of the 4th week in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague, the leadership changed hands again, with Red Star taking the top spot.
The Serbian team defeated Fenerbahce Beko 76-57 on the road during the double-match week but lost 98-84 to Barcelona at home in overtime. With 3 wins and 1 loss, Red Star finished the 4th week at the top of the standings due to the league format, which does not add points scored in overtime to the total result.
Defending Champion Faces Back-to-Back Losses
The reigning champion Panathinaikos AKTOR, coached by Ergin Ataman, did not have a successful double-match week. The Greek team lost 84-80 to the new league team Paris Basket in an away game and then lost 90-86 to Real Madrid in a crucial match in Spain. After suffering their first losses of the season, Panathinaikos AKTOR is currently in 6th place with 2 wins and 2 losses.
No undefeated teams remain after the first 4 weeks of the EuroLeague, with the Italian team Virtus Segafredo Bologna being the only team without a victory.
Performance of Turkish Players in Europe
Among Turkish basketball players competing in Europe, Cedi Osman and Ömer Faruk Yurtseven ended the week with losses. Furkan Korkmaz, playing for Monaco, did not get to play in either of his team’s two games due to injury.
Cedi Osman scored 3 points against Paris Basket and 13 points against Real Madrid. Omer Faruk scored 2 points against Paris Basket and 8 points in the match against Real Madrid.
MVPs Vezenkov and Larkin
The Most Valuable Players (MVP) of the double-match week in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague were Sasha Vezenkov from Olympiakos and Shane Larkin from Anadolu Efes.
In the 3rd week, Vezenkov scored 22 points, grabbed 7 rebounds, and provided 1 assist in the match where Olympiakos defeated EA7 Emporio Armani Milan 89-68, totaling 31 efficiency points. Vezenkov became the MVP for the 3rd week after also winning it in the 2nd week.
The MVP for the 4th week was Shane Larkin from Anadolu Efes. In the match against Olympiakos, which Anadolu Efes won 91-89, Larkin scored 24 points, collected 2 rebounds, and had 4 assists, earning 30 efficiency points to be named the week’s MVP.Match of the Week: Fenerbahce Beko vs. Panathinaikos AKTOR
In the most anticipated match of the 5th week of the EuroLeague, Fenerbahce Beko will host the reigning champion Panathinaikos AKTOR. The Greek team, coached by Ergin Ataman, will face the yellow and blue squad on October 25, Friday, at 20:45 at the Ulker Sports and Event Hall. National player Omer Faruk Yurtseven will compete against his former team for the first time wearing the Panathinaikos jersey.
This matchup between the two teams, which also faced off in the Final Four last year, is highlighted as the game of the week in the EuroLeague.
The schedule for the 5th week of the EuroLeague is as follows:
| Date | Time | Match | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| October 23 | 21:30 | Partizan vs. Virtus Segafredo Bologna | Belgrade Arena |
| October 24 | 20:00 | Zalgiris vs. Maccabi Playtika | Zalgirio Arena |
| October 24 | 20:00 | Monaco vs. Paris Basket | Gaston Médecin |
| October 24 | 21:30 | Baskonia vs. Alba Berlin | Buesa Arena |
| October 24 | 21:30 | EA7 Emporio Armani Milan vs. Anadolu Efes | Unipol Forum |
| October 24 | 21:45 | Real Madrid vs. Red Star | Wizink Center |
| October 25 | 20:45 | Fenerbahce Beko vs. Panathinaikos AKTOR | Ulker |
| October 25 | 21:30 | Barcelona vs. LDLC ASVEL | Palau Blaugrana |
| October 25 | 21:45 | Bayern Munich vs. Olympiakos | SAP Garden |
