Here are some interesting notes about the duel.


Game Notes: LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne vs. Anadolu Efes Istanbul

· Efes is 6-0 against ASVEL in games this century. Last season Efes recorded an 80-102 win over ASVEL at Astroballe in January.

· Last season in Istanbul, Efes edged ASVEL 72-68 as Vasilije Micic scored 22 and Shane Larkin had 18 points.

· Efes has a 9-0 record on French soil in EuroLeague games this century. That streak includes a pair of 6-point wins against ASVEL: a 67-73 decision in January 2004 and an 84-90 victory in November 2019.

· ASVEL beat Efes in Istanbul to take their quarterfinal series en route to the team's first and only EuroLeague Final Four in 1997.

· Efes beat ASVEL by 2 points in their third and final quarterfinal game on the way to making the first Final Four appearance by any Turkish club in 2000 with Coach Ergin Ataman on the bench.

· Shane Larkin made history in January 2020 as the first player with three consecutive MVP of the Round honors. Larkin shined with 29 points, 7 assists and 6 rebounds for a performance index rating of 45 in a 101-74 home win over ASVEL.

· Larkin set a single-game club record with 14 free throws made in an 84-90 road win over ASVEL in November 2019.

· Other Larkin personal-highs against ASVEL include 7 two-point shots made in December 2020 and 6 defensive rebounds in January 2020.

· ASVEL tied its club record with 7 blocks in a 72-68 loss against Efes in December of last year. In that game, Kevarrius Hayes set a new ASVEL club record with 6 blocks.

· ASVEL's Paul Lacombe and Efes sharpshooter Rodrigue Beaubois were teammates at Strasbourg during the 2015-16 season.

· ASVEL's Antoine Diot and Efes center Tibor Pleiss were teammates at Valencia Basket during the 2017-18 season.

· The last time these two teams played, James Anderson posted a career-high 11 rebounds against ASVEL.

· Reigning EuroLeague MVP Vasilije Micic recorded a career-high 5 steals against ASVEL last season.

· The most minutes James Gist played in his 270 EuroLeague appearances was 40:23 when he was wearing a Panathinaikos Athens uniform against Efes in November 2016. In that game, Gist had a career-high 11 rebounds.

· Diot tied his career-high with 7 assists in last year's loss against Efes in Istanbul.

· Efes guard Bugrahan Tuncer posted his career-high with 6 assists in Efes's 101-74 win in January 2020.

Keys to victory: LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne vs. Anadolu Efes Istanbul

ASVEL has outrebounded its opponents by 3 per game, has averaged 4.0 blocks and made 63.4% of its two-pointers, while limiting opponents to 47.3% two-point shooting. In contrast, Efes has been outrebounded by a whopping 15.5 rebounds per game and has allowed 58.7% two-point shooting. If ASVEL's frontcourt players Youssoupha Fall, Dylan Osetkowski, Kostas Antetokounmpo and James Gist can control the paint, ASVEL will be in great shape.

Though Efes's offense has not been as strong as it was a season ago, its defense has been a bigger problem thus far with Coach Ataman's charges giving up 91 points per game. A stronger effort on the defensive end is pivotal for the defending champs to turn things around in France.

Elie Okobo has lived up to the promise in his first EuroLeague season by averaging 18.0 points and 4.5 rebounds through his first two games. The challenge will be as tough as they come on Tuesday when he matches up against Vasilije Micic.

Marquee matchup: Elie Okobo vs. Vasilije Micic

 The 2020-21 EuroLeague MVP, Micic is already in ace form after going off for 32 points last week – the third-most in his career. Okobo has been highly efficient; he's made 78.6% of his two-pointers and 80% of his threes, but has also averaged 4 turnovers per game. Micic has made 45.5% of his twos and 52.9% of his threes. Their matchup at guard could have a big impact on the outcome of this contest.

LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne (2-0) will put its perfect record on the line when it hosts defending champion Anadolu Efes Istanbul, which has slumped to a 0-2 start. 

The Take: LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne vs. Anadolu Efes Istanbul

ASVEL defeated ALBA Berlin by 4 on the road on Friday with the backcourt duo of Chris Jones and Elie Okobo combining for 37 points. ASVEL seeks its first victory over Efes in their seventh EuroLeague meeting.

Efes was outscored by CSKA 96-100 at home in Round 2 despite 32 points from EuroLeague MVP Vasilije Micic. The game will be a homecoming of sorts for the two Frenchman on the Efes roster, Rodrigue Beaubois and Adrien Moerman, though neither has ever played for ASVEL before. Efes looks to avoid a 0-3 start for the first time since 2017 when it lost its first five games of the season.



The newest production in the Insider Documentary Series created by Euroleague Basketball tracks the personal and professional journeys of Turkish Airlines EuroLeague stars Toko Shengelia and Mike James. As the title attests, the two have "Crossed Paths" on multiple occasions. The film follows CSKA Moscow's 2020-21 EuroLeague season, with Shengelia and James among the team’s stars.

Euroleague Basketball documentary: "Crossed Paths"

Shengelia takes viewers back to his roots in Georgia and shares the path that ultimately took him to Moscow. Along the way family members, childhood friends and current and former teammates and coaches are interviewed to reveal more about Shengelia and his background.

“For me, religion, my country and my family are the three important things in my life,” Shengelia attested. “Believing in God is a way of life for me. I have felt his blessings ever since I was a little kid and ever since then I have felt that God is in my life every day.”

James too sheds light on his childhood in Portland, USA, and his on- and off-court personalities.

“I think I’m a totally different person off the court thank I am on the court. I think off the court I mostly just joke around all day, singing, laughing making fun of people. That’s basically who I am 93 percent of the day," James described himself. “I think in the games a little bit more calm. Sometimes I’m a little bit too emotional."

CSKA signed James in the summer of 2019. The following year, Shengelia joined the team, thus reuniting the pair four years after they had helped Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz reach the 2016 Final Four.

"That was defiantly a special team and it was special to be a part of it. I still keep in touch with a lot of those guys, which still shows how close we are,” James said of that squad.

"I am a big believer in chemistry. We had a group of people that was great people, hard workers, fighters and hungry people. So I believe that this is the ingredient for success," added Shengelia.

Both Shengelia and James are former All-EuroLeague selections and are considered to be among the most talented players in the competition, in no small part due to their work ethics.

"The work ethic is the reason I am where I am right now. This is something I would say is my talent,” Shengelia said. “If you are not working hard, if you are not working more than other people, you are just going to be the same level as anybody else. So if you want to be better than someone, I believe that you have to work harder than anybody in the room."

All the signs pointed towards CSKA model 2020-21 having all the ingredients to go far, just like the last time Shengelia and James had crossed paths. Indeed, despite the struggles of a difficult season, they had CSKA aiming high, but the ending was not at all as the two had expected.

"Crossed Paths" is the latest film in the Insider Documentary Series, which captures the intimacy behind the EuroLeague spotlights and provides full access to the protagonists and the people who know them best.

Here are some interesting facts about the duel.


Game Facts: ALBA Berlin vs. Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul

### ALBA Berlin
**Roster**
Oscar Da Silva made his EuroLeague debut in Round 2.
Ben Lammers, Christ Koumadje, Johannes Thiemann, Marcus Eriksson and Stefan Peno all missed the Round 2 game.

**Streaks**
Marcus Eriksson has made at least 1 three-point shot in 14 of his last 15 appearances.
Ben Lammers has at least 1 blocked shot in 11 of his last 12 games.

**Rankings**
Luke Sikma ranked seventh last season with 5.7 rebounds per game.
Ben Lammers ranked fourth last season with 1.3 blocks per game.
Marcus Eriksson ranked third in the EuroLeague last season with 2.6 three-point shots made per game.
Eriksson ranked fifth in the EuroLeague last season in free-throw accuracy at 94.3%.

**Records/Milestones**
Marcus Eriksson tied the EuroLeague single-game record with 10 three-pointers made last season in Round 28 against Khimki Moscow Region. He finished the game with an ALBA club record 36 points.

### Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul
**Roster**
Marko Guduric and Danilo Barthel returned to action in Round 2 after missing the season opener.

**Streaks**
Nando De Colo has made at least 1 three-pointer in 21 straight games.
Marko Guduric has hit at least 1 three-point shot in 10 of his last 11 games.
Guduric has made 13 consecutive free throws dating back to last season.
Pierria Henry has recorded at least 1 steal in 10 of his last 11 games.
Devin Booker has scored in double figures in seven of his last eight games.
Booker has recorded a double-digit PIR in seven of his last eight games.

**Rankings**
Nando De Colo ranked fourth last season in average PIR with 18.8 per game, and Jan Vesely was sixth with 18.0 per game.
De Colo ranked sixth last season in scoring with 15.8 points per game.
De Colo ranked fifth last season with 1.4 steals per game.
Achille Polonara ranked second last season with 6.6 rebounds per game.
Pierria Henry ranked second last season with 7.3 assists per game.
Henry led the EuroLeague last season with 1.7 steals per game.
Ahmet Duverioglu ranked fourth in the EuroLeague last season in two-point accuracy with 70.2%.

**Records/Milestones**
Jan Vesely is fourth all-time with 1,054 two-pointers made. Kyle Hines of AX Armani Exchange Milan is third with 1,102 and counting.
Vesely ranks sixth all-time with 481 offensive rebounds. Othello Hunter of FC Bayern Munich is fifth with 486 and counting.
Vesely ranks eighth all-time with 1,259 rebounds. Mirsad Turkcan is seventh with 1,287.
Vesely ranks ninth all-time with 169 blocks. Stephane Lasme is eighth with 174.
Nando De Colo ranks eighth all-time in steals with 255. Gianluca Basile is seventh with 261. 
Vesely is in 10th place all-time with 251 career steals. Sergio Rodriguez of AX Armani Exchange is ninth with 253 and counting. 
Vesely is in 14th place all-time with 2,734 points. Marcus Brown is 13th with 2,739.
Nando De Colo is the all-time leader in free-throw accuracy at 93.7%.
De Colo is ranked third all-time in scoring with 3,599 points. Juan Carlos Navarro is second with 4,152.
De Colo is ranked third all-time with 879 free throws made. Felipe Reyes is second with 967.
De Colo is ranked second all-time with 4,045 index rating points. Vassilis Spanoulis is the all-time leader with 4,183.
De Colo is in 15th place all-time with 348 career triples made. Scottie Wilbekin of Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv is 14th with 350 and counting.
Ahmet Duverioglu is sixth all-time in two-point accuracy at 66.9%.

Here are some interesting facts about the duel.

ALBA Berlin v Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul (2021-10-12T18:00:00.000Z)

Game Notes: ALBA Berlin vs. Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul

· Fenerbahce holds a 4-2 edge over ALBA in their games this century. The teams split home wins last season, including ALBA thrashing Fenerbahce 89-63 in Berlin behind 28 assists.

· Fenerbahce is 3-0 against ALBA in Istanbul, including an 89-84 win last season behind 28 points and 8 assists from Nando De Colo.

· Fenerbahce set its club record in scoring when it beat ALBA 107-102 in overtime in December 2019.

· Ismet Akpinar grew up with ALBA, made his EuroLeague and 7DAYS EuroCup debuts there, and played with the club until 2017.

· ALBA point guard Maodo Lo and Fenerbahce's Danilo Barthel were teammates at FC Bayern Munich from 2018 to 2020.

· ALBA's Johannes Thiemann and Lo have been teammates with Barthel on the German national team.

· Devin Booker had a career game, scoring 24 points in less than 25 minutes on the floor, making a career-best 10 of 13 two-point shots and pulling down 10 rebounds playing for Khimki Moscow Region against ALBA in December 2019. Booker had a career-high performance index rating of 36, earning MVP of the Round honors.

· Fenerbahce big man Achille Polonara posted his career-high with 23 points playing for Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz against ALBA in January 2021.

· ALBA center Ben Lammers tied his career-high with 3 blocks in a road loss against Fenerbahce in February of last season.

Here are some interesting notes about the duel.

ALBA Berlin has struggled on the defensive end this season; opponents have averaged 83.5 points on 63.9% two-point shooting and 51.3% on threes. The Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul attack is led by clever guards Nando De Colo, Pierria Henry and Marko Guduric and if they can exploit the holes in the ALBA defense, it could be a long night for the hosts.

Keys to victory: ALBA Berlin vs. Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul

ALBA Berlin has struggled on the defensive end this season; opponents have averaged 83.5 points on 63.9% two-point shooting and 51.3% on threes. Moreover, the German champs have been outrebounded by 5.5 per game. The Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul attack is led by clever guards Nando De Colo, Pierria Henry and Marko Guduric and if they can exploit the holes in the ALBA defense, it could be a long night for the hosts.

Where ALBA has excelled is with offensive rebounding. It leads the league with 16.5 offensive boards per game; Luke Sikma and Oscar la Silva have done much of the damage. Fenerbahce has been susceptible to giving up second-chance points, allowing 13.5 offensive boards per game. Fenerbahce must take care of business on the glass to improve its chances of winning on the road.

Luke Sikma carries the load for the ALBA frontcourt and he has done so admirably so far this season with averages of 11 points, 9 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game. Though Devin Booker may line up against Sikma at times, the matchup with former EuroLeague MVP Jan Vesely is one everyone wants to see. 

Marquee matchup: Luke Sikma vs. Jan Vesely

Luke Sikma carries the load for the ALBA frontcourt and he has done so admirably so far this season with averages of 11 points, 9 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game. Though Devin Booker may line up against Sikma at times, the matchup with former EuroLeague MVP Jan Vesely is one everyone wants to see. Vesely has started the season in fine form with 13 points, 7.5 rebounds and 3 assists per game. Vesely's length, speed and athleticism will make things tough on Sikma, who is often his team's playmaker from the post. Last season Sikma averaged 6.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 6 assists in the two games against Fenerbahce, while Vesely was worth 9 points, 5.5 boards and 1.5 blocks. A big game by either could be the difference this time.