Zenit St Petersburg got back to winning ways and improved its playoff stock with 70-91 road win in a Russian derby against Khimki Moscow Region.

Zenit cruises in Russian derby

Zenit St Petersburg got back to winning ways and improved its playoff stock with 70-91 road win in a Russian derby against Khimki Moscow Region. Zenit snapped its three-game losing streak to improve to a 17-13 record, while Khimki suffered it fourth consecutive defeat, dropping to a 3-27 in last place. Zenit overcame a slow start to take control in the second quarter when it built a double-digit margin, then used a 0-7 run break the game open after halftime. Austin Hollins led all Zenit scorers with 17 points. Kevin Pangos had 13 points and 6 assists, while Billy Baron and Alex Poythress scored 10 apiece in victory. Jordan Mickey paced Khimki with 23 points, Alexey Shved scored 19 off the bench, and Errick McCollum added 17.

Mickey got Khimki going with a put-back dunk and a long jumper, as Khimki kept the visitors scoreless for almost 5 minutes to open the game. Poythress ended the drought with two close-range baskets, only for McCollum's triple to make it 9-4. However, Zenit found offense in transition, with fastbreak baskets from Mateusz Ponitka and Will Thomas in a 0-8 run to go in front 11-14 after 10 minutes. Back-to-back three-pointers from Hollins and Andrey Zubkov took the margin to 15-23 early in the second quarter. Shved opened his tally with a triple, and Sergey Karasev cut into the deficit with a tough runner, but a monster dunk from Arturas Gudaitis and a corner triple from K.C. Rivers kept Zenit up 20-29. Despite Shved hitting a long jumper, Zenit did not allow the hosts to get close. A floater by Pangos and a long triple from Baron opened a 25-38 margin before McCollum's basket-plus-foul made it 29-39 at the break.

Catch up on Khimki Moscow Region vs Zenit St Petersburg from Round 31 of the 2020/21 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season, March 26 2021

Khimki Moscow Region vs Zenit St Petersburg Highlights - Round 31 - March 26, 2021

Zenit started the third quarter with a 0-7 run with baseline baskets from Rivers and Hollins around a triple from Pangos. Hollins added a three-pointer of his own, and after Shved knocked down a jumper and Mickey scored on a three-point play, a triple from Thomas and a dunk from Gudaitis increased the difference to 36-55. Mickey and Shved scored some more for the hosts, but a triple from Pangos and a basket-plus-foul by Ponitka opened a 44-66 gap late in the third quarter. Shved finished the quarter with a buzzer-beating triple, and Zaytsev and Mickey had three-point plays early in the fourth. But Zubkov hit from the outside and Poythress twice inside for the visitors to keep the margin at 20 points, 55-75. Mickey had an alley-oop dunk and Shved took it to the rim, but a triple apiece from Baron, Pangos and Hollins made it 61-84 on the way to Zenit closing it out.


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Khimki Moscow Region v Zenit St Petersburg (2021-03-26T17:00:00.000Z)

Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv escaped from Zalgirio Arena with a hard-fought 81-88 victory over Zalgiris Kaunas on Thursday night.

Maccabi’s strong finish buries Zalgiris

Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv escaped from Zalgirio Arena with a hard-fought 81-88 victory over Zalgiris Kaunas on Thursday night. The visitors trailed 79-72 with less than 4 minutes remaining, but only allowed a bucket by Rokas Jokubaitis in that span in a 2-16 run that sealed the outcome. Dragan Bender had career-highs in points (16) and PIR (15) to lead the winners, who improved to 12-17. Chris Jones followed him with an all-around performance of 13 points, 3 rebounds, 6 assists and 4 steals, good for a career-best in PIR of 21. Scottie Wilbekin and Elijah Bryant netted 12 points each and Ante Zizic posted 10 and 6 rebounds for the Israeli champs. Nigel Hayes scored career-high 24 points on 8-of-11 field goal shooting, also registering his best mark in PIR (30). Marius Grigonis knocked down 14 points and dished 6 assists and Jokubaitis scored 11 in defeat. 

Four different Zalgiris players scored on a 9-2 opening run. Maccabi called for a timeout, right before Angelo Caloiaro and Wilbekin accounted for a triple and a three-point play, respectively, to make it 12-8. Hayes showed up then to score 7 points in a row, giving the hosts a double-digit lead, 19-8. The visitors struggled to keep the ball safe in offense, which allowed Hayes to extend the margin to 23-10 after another steal. Omri Casspi took over for the Yellows with 6 points in a row and Jones followed with a jumper to reduce the deficit, even though Jokubaitis drilled a corner three to close the first quarter with Zalgiris ahead, 26-18. Maccabi had a strong start in the second, going on a 2-10 run that got it all square after 12 minutes. Zalgiris tried to stop it with a timeout, but Bender scored a layup to complete the comeback and put the visitors in front, 28-30. The hosts found some relief from behind the arc as Thomas Walkup, Paulius Jankunas and Hayes connected on a three each to recover a 37-33 edge. Hayes and Augustine Rubit kept delivering from the line, but a timely corner triple by John DiBartolomeo helped Maccabi reach halftime trailing 40-38.

Catch up on Zalgiris Kaunas vs Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv from Round 31 of the 2020/21 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season, March 25 2021

Zalgiris Kaunas vs Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv Highlights - Round 31 - March 25, 2021

Walkup and Grigonis got Zalgiris going with a three-point play and a three-pointer early in the third that returned a comfortable 46-38 advantage to the hosts. Oz Blayzer held the guests with a strong block and a three, as Jones followed with a pair of jumpers to bring Maccabi within 48-45. Both teams traded baskets until Bryant showed up with a three and a couple of free throws to tie it again, 55-55. Dorsey got Maccabi ahead again, 57-58, as the lead switched 6 times for the following 2 minutes until a bucket by Bryant closed the third with the visitors leading 63-64. Lauvergne took over on the offensive glass for Zalgiris, but Bender replied in style with back-to-back triples that kept the Yellows up, 69-70. The hosts reacted with a 7-0 run capped by a difficult bucket by Hayes to make another turnaround, 76-70. Maccabi didn’t panic, though, as Zizic delivered a couple of buckets inside, Wilbekin connected from deep and Jones scored free throws to tie it again, 79-79, entering crunch time. Jokubaitis hit a jumper that brought the lead back to Zalgiris, but he missed the next two as Maccabi found first Bryant from behind the arc, then Zizic inside to get an 81-84 edge. A turnover by Walkup was followed by a layup by Wilbekin with 22 seconds to go that sealed the visitor’s victory. 

### Pivotal performer

Dragan Bender had to play a different role for his team in this game, as Othello Hunter missed it because of an injury. Bender filled in the center position for several minutes and he didn’t look uncomfortable. He drilled 2 key threes early in the fourth quarter to prevent Zalgiris from escaping and ended up tallying career-high 16 points to lead Maccabi.
### Close end, strong finish

Maccabi had played several tight games in the Turkish Euroleague regular season so far but had not very good memories from most of them. The Israeli champs had lost 10 games decided by 5 or fewer points, winning just four. But on this night, Maccabi showed no panic when the game was tied, 79-79, entering crunch time. The visitors allowed only 2 points in the last 4 minutes of the game and signed off a 2-16 run in that span to take the win.
### Team balance

The visitors had five scorers in double-figures, but it was even more remarkable that they had six different players - playing different positions - with double-digits in PIR. They got three guards (Elijah Bryant, Scottie Wilbekin and Chris Jones), two forwards (Dragan Bender and Omri Casspi) and one center (Ante Zizic).
### What’s next?

In Round 32 next week Zalgiris Kaunas will remain in Kaunas to host ALBA Berlin on Wednesday, March 31. Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv will also play at home. It takes on current Turkish Airlines Euroleague leader, F.C. Barcelona, the same day.

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Zalgiris Kaunas v Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv (2021-03-25T19:00:00.000Z)

Real Madrid boosted its playoff chances with a hard-earned 71-74 victory at LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne, eliminating the French team from post-season contention. 

Real boosts playoffs hopes with hard-fought win

Real Madrid boosted its playoff chances with a hard-earned 71-74 victory at LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne, eliminating the French team from post-season contention. ASVEL enjoyed the better of a closely contested first half, taking a 37-32 lead into the break. Real battled back with a 2-15 run after the break and led nearly all the rest of the way, holding firm on defense for a vital victory. Trey Thompkins paced the victors with 13 points, with Nico Laprovittola adding 12 and Alberto Abalde scoring 11. ASVEL’s Norris Cole led all scorers with 18 points. Guerschon Yabusele and David Lighty both netted 13 and Antoine Diot 12 in defeat. Real improved to 18-13 to ensure it will finish the week in the playoff zone, while ASVEL’s chances are now mathematically zero as it dropped to 12-18. 

Thompkins, Laprovittola and Jeffery Taylor scored inside to send Real ahead, but Diot and Yabusele struck from deep for a 6-6 tie. Thompkins and Garuba kept the visitors strong inside the paint before 5 points from Cole made it 11-10 for ASVEL. Lighty’s deep strike was answered by Laprovittola, before dunks from Taylor and Gabriel Deck sent Real back ahead, 16-19. ASVEL responded with Diot’s triple and Amine Noua’s driving score, and Paul Lacombe beat the buzzer to make it 23-20 after 10 minutes. Defenses controlled the early going in the second frame, with no points for nearly 3 minutes until Noua’s layup and one. It took 5 minutes for Abalde to drain one from deep for Real’s first field goal of the quarter, making it 28-25. Yabusele’s tip-in and free throws extended the lead before Abalde hit another triple. Lighty and Laprovittola exchanged inside scores. Yabusele gave ASVEL a 37-32 halftime lead.

Catch up on LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne vs Real Madrid from Round 31 of the 2020/21 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season, March 25 2021

LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne vs Real Madrid Highlights - Round 31 - March 25, 2021

Yabusele and Laprovittola traded three-pointers early in the third quarter, before Garuba and Jaycee Carroll also struck from deep to send Real ahead, 42-43. Laprovittola and Carroll scored inside to complete a 2-15 run, but Cole rescued ASVEL with a long two. Walter Tavares added a put-back and one, but Cole started to heat up with another inside score, making it 46-50. Lighty’s mid-range strike was bettered by Deck from deep, and Thompkins added a three-point play to give Real a 51-56 edge with 10 minutes remaining. Cole’s triple boosted ASVEL and he then hit from mid-range to tie it up, 58-58. Diot briefly sent the hosts ahead from the foul line, but Deck and Thompkins restored Real’s lead. Abalde banked one in and it was 61-64 with 3 minutes left. Lighty netted a driving layup, but Thompkins responded with free throws and Abalde sank a crucial three in the final minute for a 63-69 lead. Diot gave ASVEL hope from deep. Tavares scored inside, but Yabusele hit another triple to make it 69-71. After Deck split free throws, Cole and Thompkins made theirs. However, Cole and Charles Kahudi missed three-point attempts to force overtime on the final possession.

### Real improves on D

After allowing 23 points in the first quarter, Real tightened up its defense the rest of the way. ASVEL only scored 14 points in both the second and third quarters, allowing Real to move ahead despite struggling for offensive fluidity.
### Garuba and Fall impress

No players lit up the scoreboard in a defensive struggle, but two centers impressed. Usman Garuba offered a strong all-round contribution for Real with 9 points, 8 rebounds and a team-high 3 assists, while ASVEL’s Moustapha Fall recorded 11 rebounds and 5 blocked shots.
### Contrasting early strategies

The teams had contrasting approaches in the early stages: ASVEL scored its first 9 points from beyond the arc on 3-of-4 three-point shooting, while Real’s first 12 points all came from two-point territory 6-of-7 from two-point range.
### Next round

Real returns home for a big battle with Anadolu Efes Istanbul next Tuesday, March 30, while ASVEL travels to Khimki Moscow Region on Wednesday.

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LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne v Real Madrid (2021-03-25T19:45:00.000Z)

Every basketball career has its obstacles, some major, some minor, that come along the way. Then there are compelling stories of pure survival, as in the case of Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul veteran guard Ali Muhammed, whose success has come on top of a childhood surrounded by crime, drugs and a lot of uncertainty.

The soon-to-be 38-year-old Ali is a former Turkish Airlines EuroLeague champion with Fenerbahce now playing in his 15th professional season, chasing more EuroLeague glory to go with the clutch Final Four performances already under his belt. He has spent the last nine years of his career with just two different Turkish clubs, including the last six with Fenerbahce.

All his success playing at an elite level has been the easy part of his life. 

"Once I found myself in jail, and I wasn't getting out, I just had to make some certain decisions." 

"With all the things that I've been through, as far as my mentality, it prepared me to get to this point," Muhammed says. "I have to appreciate that. By going through that stuff, it made me into the person that I am. And it made me have this type of character. There's a no-back-down attitude and always a fighting mentality, even despite my size. So, I think all of that I went through, it appears it was beneficial to me, to be here now."

At only 1.78 meters, Ali Muhammed is also someone who started his pro career by changing clubs eight times in his first five seasons. And he was quite fortunate just to make it out of the Chicago housing project where he grew up, let alone to play professionally. His childhood involved drama that is even too much to comprehend.

Ali's mother, father and older brothers were in and out of jail throughout his childhood for dealing and doing drugs. His brother Brian, three years older than him, was killed in a shooting at age 13. Ali, who went by Bobby Dixon at the time, was later arrested for dealing drugs before his senior year in high school, spending months in jail and boot camp.

Boot camp is where he graduated from high school, and at 18 years old was faced with a life full of more uncertainty. Great determination and a love for basketball ended up saving his life, however.

Growing up, Muhammed loved all sports and played any sports. He first remembers trying with baseball and boxing, while basketball was something he started practicing a little later.

"My first time playing basketball was in an alley," the Fenerbahce guard says. "That was like one of the things you did as a kid growing in projects; you start playing in an alley first. And it wasn't your typical basketball rim; it was a milk crate. You cut out the bottom of the milk crate and nail it up to the light pole. I didn't get to the gym until I was about 11 or 12 years old." 

"You got to take responsibility for your own life no matter what happened." 

What got Muhammed hooked on basketball was a visit to a local gym in Chicago, where as an 11-year old he saw NBA stars and fellow Chicagoans Michael Finley and Tim Hardaway play a game. One of them, because of his small size and penchant for pulling up for long shots, left a life-long impression on Ali.

"I was a little kid on the floor and just watching. I was amazed at Tim Hardaway. When I saw him play, he was just pulling up from deep, shooting threes. I was thinking, 'How is he doing it?' I was amazed at that," he says. "Ever since then, I was in love with trying to do that."

Though little, Muhammad was quick and could score on just about anyone. He didn't play organized basketball until reaching Sullivan High School, where he started to make a name for himself in his second and third year. But then he got into a lot of trouble before his last year, ending up in a county jail for three months followed by four months in a boot camp.

"Once I found myself in jail, and I wasn't getting out, I just had to make some certain decisions," he recalls. "'Am I going to continue down this path and do the same thing I've been doing, or do I want to change and try to do something different?'

"And, you know, the smart person will change. Evidently, you're not that good at it if you are in jail, and I'm smart enough to understand that. And then, right then and there, I just told myself then I'll never put myself in that position again, and I started to take it step by step."

Things could have easily gone the other way, the wrong way, but he did not allow that. The teenager managed to keep his focus on the right things and stay away from the trouble that was all around him.

"At the end of the day, most people are good at blaming other people for their situation," he says. "Me, I wished to be honest with myself; you can't always be the victim. You've got to take responsibility for your own life no matter what happened.

"So I took it upon myself and I told myself that I'm not doing this again. I'm not going down that path no matter what the circumstances."

Ali Muhammed knew he had to turn to basketball, and he put all his energy into it. When it came to basketball, it was nothing but a tunnel vision for him.

"Once I get my mind locked on to something, and it's something that I want, it's hard to get my attention to something else. This is how I am."

Things started clicking, on and off the court. He got into college playing basketball at Troy State, while his mom got out of jail and turned around her life, too, with help from her son.

"My mom started doing the right things, going to work and staying away from certain elements that would put her in a [bad] position. And I tried to motivate my mom and tell her that this is what we're doing, and no matter what we will be going through, I'm always going to be there and try to help her. Telling her to stay positive, stay clean, and we're gonna do it together."

But more challenges were ahead. Muhammed turned pro in 2006, and was faced with going overseas to play in France. It is never easy for young players coming out of school into a foreign country, not speaking the language and living alone. It was the same for him, but he had no intentions of backing down after all he went through to get into the position to play basketball professionally.

"It's all these different type of challenges and elements you've gotta deal with, but going through everything I've been in my life, that kind of prepared me for situations like that. 'What I'm going to do? Go back home?¡ Or just stick it out, tough it out. And that's what I had to do."

Ali toughed it out quite all right. He did change clubs often at first, but it took him just two years to reach EuroCup level with Benetton Treviso, and three years to make his EuroLeague debut with ASVEL Villeurbanne. One might think he made it once he got to the EuroLeague, but Muhammed will argue the opposite, that the challenge only begins there and then.

"I think once you get to that EuroLeague level, other guys underneath you now they're looking at you as a target," he explains. "Because everybody wants to be in that position. It's not that it gets easier. No, actually it gets hard. You've got to really focus in every game when you get to this level.

"Everybody is hunting, right? And you've been hunting your whole career. Now, you are being hunted."

After that debut season with ASVEL, it took him couple more years to get back to competing at the elite level. And a decision to join Turkish side Pinar Karsiyaka Izmir changed his life. 

Ali admits he felt his career was a bit on a downward trajectory at that moment, but once he joined the club from Izmir ahead of the 2012-13 season, his career took a rapid rise. He led Karsiyaka to the 2014 Turkish Cup title, before his time with the club from Izmir culminated with leading the team to a historic 2015 Turkish League crown, earning a place in the EuroLeague.

But Muhammed never did play a EuroLeague game for Karsiyaka, because the following summer he joined Fenerbahce, where Coach Zeljko Obradovic wanted him as he was putting together a perennial EuroLeague title contender. Along the way came an opportunity that Muhammed says is the one you don't turn down, an invitation to take Turkish citizenship and play for Turkish national team, which also lead to a name change, from Bobby Dixon to Ali Muhammed.

"It's a big honor for a country to adopt you, asking you if would like to represent that country playing basketball," Muhammed says. "That is just a testament about how much work you put in, and of course I accepted it. It was an easy decision. "

Muhammed is now in his ninth year playing basketball in Turkey, which he is quick to call his second home. 

"Everything in life is about adjusting to circumstances and I just try to use that in basketball, too." 

"Turkey gave me a lot. They helped me with my basketball career. Playing here helped my family's financial situation. And then, the people here show me so much love. So, of course, I consider this my second home."

Muhammed made more history in Turkish basketball, helping Fenerbahce win the 2017 EuroLeague title. He has played in each Final Four since 2016, reaching a total of three championship games in the process. With more than 160 appearances in the competition, nearly 1,500 points and 400 assists, and more than 300 three-point shots made, Ali Muhammed has been leaving his mark in the EuroLeague for nearly a decade.

More importantly, however, is the way he made it in basketball, the mindset and approach he took, both of which are lessons for any young person.

"I don't look for excuses, I just try to fix the problems with solutions," Ali explains. "I basically just tried to control the things that I could control. By working hard, being professional, being a good positive character guy, and basically controlling everything that I can. So if things were not working out on court as I wanted to, that means I'm not doing something right. So I got to address it.

"Everything in life is about adjusting to circumstances and I just try to use that in basketball, too. When you look for solutions you've got to adjust to whatever it is that you're doing, so that's the only thing that I tried to do. No matter what it is, or where I'm at, I feel like I can adapt because I am a person who tried to learn from every experience."

Every basketball career has its obstacles, some major, some minor, that come along the way. Then there are compelling stories of pure survival, as in the case of Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul veteran guard Ali Muhammed, whose success has come on top of a childhood surrounded by crime, drugs and a lot of uncertainty.

Ali Muhammed, Fenerbahce: 'I don't look for excuses'

The tall playmaker has shocked fans with his athleticism, which he developed as a promising track and field prospect, one of the best of his generation in Bolmaro's native Argentina. His time spent running and jumping helped Bolmaro develop coordination, quickness and core strength, all of which were key traits in his basketball growth, too.

"I started with track and field at an early age, when I was 5-6 years old because my sister was doing it. It became more and more important for me and I started to like it a lot," Bolmaro said. "I had to drop it when I was 15 because I had to choose between basketball and track and field, and ended up choosing basketball. It was a tough choice, but I am very happy playing basketball now." 

"I had to choose between basketball and track and field... It was a tough choice."

Bolmaro was a multi-discipline athlete. In 2014, he became the Argentinean U14 heptathlon champion, an event that combines the 100-meter hurdles, long jump, javelin, high jump, shot put and the 800m. Even after he started playing basketball, Bolmaro kept collecting medals in the octathlon (100m dash, long jump, 110m hurdles, high jump, 400m, shot put, javelin throw and the 1,000m) as well as the high jump with his club, Almafuerte de Las Varillas. Bolmaro explained that the keys to his track and field success were coordination and technique.

"When it comes to hurdles races, it is important to work on your coordination. If you have to do a high jump, you have to work on stretching your back, as well as on jumping skills. If you get the right skills, speed helps you to do it well," he said. "Hurdles and high jump were my strengths. I high jumped 1.94 meters and had 6.80 or so in the long jump."

Once he started playing basketball, Bolmaro had two role models he looked up to, one in each sport. In track and field, it was eight-time Olympic gold medalist Usain Bolt. In basketball, he idolized Argentinian hero Manu Ginobili.

"I always followed Bolt. I enjoyed each of his races and each tournament. He should have tried the long jump! I am sure he would have been the best, or one of the best, if he learned some jumping skills," Bolmaro said. "Ginobili was my idol since I was a kid. I watched a lot of his games. He is one of the greatest, the best Argentinean basketball player of all-time. What he did in the NBA and everywhere else was amazing. I have a long way to go to be like him!

"I haven't met him personally but we have talked on FaceTime. He gave me a lot of advice and encouragement. His versatility was amazing and everything he did seemed to come naturally. He also had a lot of self-confidence and experience. The Golden Generation is historical in Argentina and having the chance to contact some of them, even know some of them, is a dream-come-true. We have a very good generation of players now and a good national team. I believe we will go for more."

One of his dreams is going to the Olympic games and if Argentina qualifies, Bolmaro will try to do his best to go to the athletics stadium and sneak in to see the event.

"I still want to do track and field sometimes. Sometimes I feel like I would love to go back to the track and do high jump and all other things I did, but I am focused on basketball, and I want to become a better player every day," he said. "I still watch a lot of track and field tournaments on TV. It is very entertaining. I love to watch people do what I did and then I like tests like 400m, 400m hurdles, and the shorter races, 100m and 200m. But of course, high jump and long jump are my favorites. I love it."

Even though his father Osvaldo was a basketball coach, Bolmaro made his decision to give up track and field when he realized he couldn't practice both sports at once. It was his friends, however, who turned him into basketball.

"My father played basketball when he was young and then became a coach. I always went to see him practice, so I started to like basketball and at the same time, all of my friends at school played basketball, and they had a great time playing, so that is a little bit how I started to play basketball when I was 10," Bolmaro said. "I did both sports until I was 14-15, I went to track and field practice and then to my basketball practice, together with school and tournaments. I ended up dropping track and field to become a professional basketball player."

His physical background, jumping over hurdles and running short distances, paid off in basketball. Bolmaro explained how doing so many different things on the track turned him into an all-around player.

"I worked a lot on my coordination to jump over hurdles and that coordination helps me in basketball," Bolmaro detailed. "In between hurdles, you have to take three steps. If you take four, you could kill yourself or lose the race! So I always had to take three long, firm steps while focused and I am sure that helped me with basketball, too. It was easier for me to drive to the basket, I suppose.

"I worked a lot on my coordination to jump over hurdles and that coordination helps me in basketball." 

"It was hard, but if you put together coordination and skills, it could be done. I could say the same about high jump; you have to start from scratch and little by little, with good coordination and the right skills, you get better. It is also the same for havelin, discus, shot put... I did a little bit of everything. I believe I tried all the track and field events! All that helped me a lot to be more athletic. Maybe if I hadn't competed in track and field, I would be a terrible basketball player. I believe it helped me a lot."

Bolmaro is now in a great environment to further develop his basketball skills, too, with a head coach who won four EuroLeague titles as a legendary point guard and a teammate in Nick Calathes, who has lifted the EuroLeague and the 7DAYS EuroCup trophies and is on his way to reaching 1,500 assists in his EuroLeague career. 

"Practicing with 'Saras' and Nick Calathes, you learn something new every day. I look at what he does and it is amazing. Saras was a great player and he played point guard, too, so that helps a lot, each piece of advice and also each correction," Bolmaro said. "I try to listen to them and become a better player every day, but just practicing with them helps me a whole lot."

He is making the most of this chance and is focused on getting better and better.

"I love Barcelona: the city, the club and its organization. I like the way people work here and I am very thankful for the opportunity the club gave me. They took their chances with me and gave me a lot of confidence, so I have to give it back. I am really focused on that." 

Leandro Bolmaro has become one of the most fun-to-watch young players in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague. 

Leandro Bolmaro, Barcelona: 'I still want to do track and field sometimes'

The latest guest on The Crossover with Joe Arlauckas is head coach Igor Kokoskov of Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul. Though the two men hadn't met before the episode was taped, they hit it off quickly and reviewed Kokoskov's career on both sides of the Atlantic and his views on life in less than one hour.

Like most successful coaches in any sport, Kokoskov was a player first. He was a rising name in Yugoslavian basketball and had made the national U18 team before tragedy struck. He was involved in a horrific traffic accident that ended his playing career just as it was starting to take off.

[10:05] "I spent almost 11 months in the hospital on a couple of different occasions. I had several surgeries," Kokoskov said. However, instead of allowing himself to sink into depression, Kokoskov focused on the positive: "One part of me was happy, saying that it could be worse. What if I had lost a leg, if I couldn't walk anymore?"

Kokoskov knew he wanted to remain in basketball, so he started coaching at the high school level. He worked his way up and became the youngest coach in Yugoslavian club history to coach in the top flight. To take his game to the next level, Kokoskov heeded his grandfather's advice "to find the best in a business and work for free just to learn the secret to success."

He spent time with famed University of Connecticut coaches Jim Calhoun and Geno Auriemma as well as with Duke University's Mike Krzyzewski. It was at the latter stop that he became close with Quin Snyder, who later hired him to be his assistant at the University of Missouri. His time at Mizzou led to two decades in the NBA, including as the head coach of the Phoenix Suns, where he became the first European-born head of a bench in that league.

[33:30] "Luck can give you an opportunity that you don't deserve, but pretty soon you'll show your true face. If you sustain in this business, there is something good about you," Kokoskov said in explaining the need to be both lucky and talented to succeed in the coaching business. Kokoskov had both thanks to some friends who made it big and his abilities.

Last summer, Kokoskov returned to the Old Continent and made his Turkish Airlines EuroLeague debut for Fenerbahce, where he replaced a man he called his "basketball mentor" and "close friend", Zeljko Obradovic. It was a rocky start, but since Kokoskov and Fenerbahce have righted the ship and climbed into the playoff zone.

[47:20] "We know who we are. We have a lot of veteran players that have been in this league for a long, long time," Kokoskov said of his Fenerbahce team. "As long as we're healthy, we're together, we have a good group of guys who are willing to play together and sacrifice for each other and that put us in a good position to be successful this year."

With a one-hour format of exclusive one-on-one interviews, The Crossover with Joe Arlauckas goes well beyond the playing court with each podcast to delve into the life experiences that have made his guests protagonists and legends of the EuroLeague. The Crossover debuted in 2018 and has featured such current stars as Toko Shengelia, Shane Larkin and Kyle Hines, coaching greats such as Ettore Messina, Pablo Laso and Zeljko Obradovic, and legends like Theo Papaloukas, Nikola Vujcic and Mike Batiste, among others. The first guests in Season 3 were FC Bayern Munich Coach Andrea Trinchieri, Zalgiris Kaunas star Marius Grigonis, Kostas Papanikolaou of Olympiacos Piraeus and CSKA Moscow assistant coach Darryl Middleton.

The Crossover with Joe Arlauckas is available on Youtube, [iTunes](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-crossover-with-joe-arlauckas/id1440034922), [Audioboom](https://audioboom.com/channel/the-crossover-with-joe-arlauckas), [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/show/6T1SYvGSpzyrYZpG9z2wjR), [Deezer](https://www.deezer.com/fr/show/65962), [RadioPublic](https://radiopublic.com/the-crossover-with-joe-arlauckas-6NkdjJ), [Google Podcasts](https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hdWRpb2Jvb20uY29tL2NoYW5uZWxzLzQ4ODM3OTkucnNz?sa=X&ved=0CAMQ4aUDahcKEwiYzr_b78XtAhUAAAAAHQAAAAAQAQ), [TuneIn](https://tunein.com/podcasts/Sports--Recreation-Podcasts/The-Crossover-with-Joe-Arlauckas-p1174586/), [Stitcher](https://www.stitcher.com/show/the-crossover-with-joe-arlauckas), [CastBox](https://castbox.fm/channel/The-Crossover-with-Joe-Arlauckas-id1467328?country=gb), [iVoox](https://www.ivoox.com/podcast-the-crossover-with-joe-arlauckas_sq_f1629856_1.html) and other platforms.

Joe Arlauckas gets to know the first European-born NBA coach and Obradovic’s successor on Fenerbahce's bench

Fenerbahce's Coach Kokoskov visits The Crossover

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Zenit St Petersburg defeated AX Armani Exchange Milan 79-70 on Monday at Sibur Arena in a makeup game from Round 5 that sent the victors into fourth place in the standings. 

Zenit beats Milan, soars to fourth place

Zenit St Petersburg defeated AX Armani Exchange Milan 79-70 on Monday at Sibur Arena in a makeup game from Round 5 that sent the victors into fourth place in the standings. Zenit improved to 15-9 – leapfrogging three teams with 15-10 records – and dropped Milan to 16-9. Kevin Pangos starred with 16 points, 10 assists and 3 steals to lead Zenit, Arturas Gudaitis also scored 16 and blocked 2 shots, Billy Baron added 13 points and Will Thomas and Alex Poythress netted 10 points apiece. Kevin Punter paced Milan with 16 points, Shavon Shields scored 15, Sergio Rodriguez had 10 and Kyle Hines produced 9 points and 10 rebounds in defeat. After Shields tied the game at 60-60 3 minutes into the fourth quarter, Zenit held the visitors to just one basket over nearly 5 minutes during an 11-2 run that decided the game.



Shields stood out for Milan early with a three-pointer and a layup after an offensive rebound. However, the visitors soon found themselves in trouble when starting center Kaleb Tarczewski was called for his second foul after just 1:13 of playing time. Zenit began attacking the paint with Gudaitis leading the way; the big man scored three times and dished an assist to Mateusz Ponitka in a 10-0 Zenit run. Hines and Rodriguez came off the bench to revive the visitors and trim the deficit to 14-13. Poythress and Thomas helped the hosts extend their advantage to 19-15 after 10 minutes. Baron sniped Zenit's first three of the game to open the second quarter and his layup later made it 28-20. A three-pointer by K.C. Rivers gave Zenit its first double-digit lead, 33-22, and prompted a Milan timeout midway through the second quarter. Vladimir Micov helped bring Milan back with free throws and a triple to narrow the gap to 36-31. Despite a pair of slams by Gudaitis, Milan continued to fight back and a three by Michael Roll made it 40-38 at the break.

Catch up on Zenit St Petersburg vs AX Armani Exchange Milan from Round 5 of the 2020/21 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season, February 22 2021

Zenit St Petersburg vs AX Armani Exchange Milan Highlights - Round 5 - February 22, 2021

After a scoreless first half, Punter's four-point play tied the game early in the second half. Then he scored on the break and beat the shot clock with a jumper to put Milan up 42-46. A pull-up three by Baron put Zenit back in front as the lead started to change hands with regularity. A jumper by Hines tied it at 54-54 at the end of the third quarter. Shields's put-back restored a Milan edge at the onset of the fourth. Zenit regained control on a jumper by Thomas, 60-58. Pangos twice drove into the heard of the Milan defense for baskets that put Zenit ahead by 4. A basket-plus-foul by Gudaitis, who was fresh off the bench, made it 68-62 with 3 minutes remaining. A three by Pangos was answered by Punter with his second four-point play of the game. After free throws by Gudaitis, a deep three by Pangos made it 76-66 with 1 minute on the clock as the hosts held on for a crucial victory.second half goes here 

### Game-changing run

After Shavon Shields tied the game at 60-60 3 minutes into the fourth quarter, Zenit held the visitors to just one basket over nearly 5 minutes during an 11-2 run that decided the game. Kevin Pangos starred with 7 points and an assist in that time.

### The tiebreaker

These teams met three weeks earlier in Italy where Milan won 82-76. By virtue of Zenit's 9-point victory, Coach Xavi Pascual's men now hold the head-to-head tiebreaker between these teams. What's more, if Zenit has played one game less than Milan and if it wins its postponed Round 6 game against Panathinaikos, it could overtake Milan for third place.

### The telling statistics

Zenit outpointed Milan in almost every major statistical category, including two-point shooting (66.7%-57.5%), three-point shooting (33.3%-28.6%), rebounds (32-28), assists (21-12) and blocks (5-0) to compile a performance index rating of 108 to Milan's 66.

### Milan Milestones

Two Milan players moved up on the all-time EuroLeague ranks. Kyle Hines took his career point tally to 2,658 points to overtake – at least temporarily – Alexey Shved of Khimki Moscow Region (2,655) for 12th place all-time. Sergio Rodriguez broke a tie with Milos Teodosic to take sole possession of fifth place on the career charts with 472 three-pointers made.

Pangos-006433.jpg

Zenit St Petersburg defeated AX Armani Exchange Milan 79-70 on Monday at Sibur Arena in a makeup game from Round 5 that sent the victors into fourth place in the standings. 


Zenit St Petersburg v AX Armani Exchange Milan (2021-02-22T17:00:00.000Z)

On most successful basketball teams, it is important that players are aware of their roles. That often helps teams move towards their goals and helps players grow and understand what is needed of them from their coaches and teammates on – or even off – the basketball court. Sometimes, players find those roles themselves and fit perfectly in them, but one can argue that some of those roles can also limit certain players, as might be done with Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade first-year point guard Langston Hall.

Even though the 29-year-old Hall has proven to be a capable scorer on all levels where he has played, he has always been more inclined to serve his teammates and set them up for points rather than go get baskets himself. Ever since Hall has been playing basketball, as early as the youth leagues when he was just 10 or 11 years old, there are stories from his coaches that are a testament to his unselfish play. 

"It's not always fun when it's just one person scoring every time, all the time." 

"When I was younger I was always one of the bigger kids in my age group, so I was usually one of the better basketball players," Hall recalled. "It was also because I have an older brother, four years older than me, so growing up I just always played with his friends where I would be the young guy.

"And then, when I played with my friends, it was a little easier for me to score. So, I would always try to help some of my teammates, who maybe weren't as good as me, just get easier baskets so they could get confidence to have fun, too. Because, it's not always fun when it's just one person scoring every time, all the time, so I wanted to make sure they were enjoying themselves. Make sure they were having fun and it just always stuck with me."

Hall has had some memorable moments on his basketball journey. He was an accomplished college player at Mercer University, where he was chosen as the 2014 Atlantic Sun Player of the Year award and the Lou Henson Mid-Major Player of the Year, an award also won by current EuroLeague players Thomas Walkup of Zalgiris Kaunas and Kyle O'Quinn of Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul.

That same year, Hall made national headlines by leading Mercer to one of the NCAA Tournament's historic upsets over mighty Duke. 

"When you're a pro, you need to know what you do best and that's what you need to focus on." 

"That's a life-changing moment", Hall said. "When you're a little kid, you're always playing in the backyard and you're thinking you're in college beating teams like Duke. So, you're going up against Duke and you beat them in real life, it's crazy. It's a special moment."

Hall went on to start his professional career with Pistoia in the Italian League. He ranked fourth in assists in the 2014-15 season and helped the team to the verge of the playoffs. Hall moved to fellow Italian side Pallacanestro Cantu the following summer, but did not stay there long, transferring mid-season to Telekom Bonn in Germany, where hall endured multiple coaching changes in just five months.

"I think that year really helped me a lot, even though it wasn't my best year playing, it was my best year learning," said Hall, revealing his positive approach to the way he looks at things in life, and basketball. "You learn you need to work hard outside of practice, you need to just keep going, keep going, even if you're not playing that much. You just have to keep working because you never know when the next opportunity is going to come and you need to be ready for it."

His opportunities did come. He spent the next year and had a pretty good season with Kolossos Rhodes in the Greek League and after a brief stop with Cibona Zagreb in Croatia, he returned to Greece to join Promitheas Patras in the fall of 2017 and remained there for three seasons, leading the team in re-writing club history. The team made a step up every year, going from a Greek League also-ran to a EuroCup contender, with Hall starring in the 2019-20 season with 11.4 points and 5.7 assists per game.

"I think every year we got better and better as a team and I think I developed, getting better and better," Hall said.

It was also a place where he started getting more recognized for the very unselfish way he plays the game, as a pass-first point guard who puts the team above any individual success. It is an approach he's had from his earliest days in youth basketball until today.

"When I got older, I knew I wasn't always the best scorer, so I knew I had to figure out other ways to impact the game. I knew I had guys on my team who are really great scorers and guys who maybe are great shooters or guys who are great finishers at the rim who couldn't get their shot on their own," he explained.

"I thought being the point guard, it was my job to help them get easier shots, help them gain confidence and put them in situations where the game would be easier for them and I think it's always been like that for me ever since I started playing point guard."

That type of play and approach to the game, however, must have kept Hall under the radar because, as he noted: "Sometimes stats are like the sexy thing."

"When a guy averages 16-17 points, you think 'yeah, he's a good player for sure'. A guy who averages 8, 9 or 10 points, but maybe a few more assists and plays the game the right way, I guess you can say it's not always the sexy thing to bring a guy like that in," Hall commented.

However, even feeling like an underdog, just like most of the teams he has played for, it never turned Hall away from what he believes and how he thinks he should approach and play the game.

"I know I'm not a guy a coach brings in and says 'all right, so we need to go out there and score 15 to 20 points every night'. I can score that many points, but that's not the thing I do best. When you're a pro, you need to know what you do best and that's what you need to focus on," Hall added.

This mindset, and understanding, comes from the way Hall was raised, how his parents taught him to go about his life, and in the end, how to approach basketball. 

"You just want to treat everybody with respect because you never know how and what impact you can have on somebody's life."

"In reality, basketball is not going to define you," Hall said. "It's going to be the person you are, the teammate you are, the person you are off the court. Those are the type of things that people want to be around. They want good guys on their team. And even if you're a really good basketball player but if you're a terrible person, they probably look over you and take someone who's a better person."

Building your basketball career while going under the radar becomes a lot easier when one carries himself in such a way, on the floor and in life, like Hall has been doing.

"You just want to treat everybody with respect because you never know how and what impact you can have on somebody's life. That's what my family preached to me. Treat everybody with respect, everybody the same way. Just growing up like that, and watching my parents treat the other people like that, it just trickled down."

In real life and in the way Langston Hall has been playing basketball.

Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade guard Langston Hall has been a team-first player throughout his career both because it suits his on-court talents and his off-court personality.

Langston Hall, Crvena Zvezda: 'Treat everybody with respect' 

An interesting and heartfelt conversation unfolded as two-time Turkish Airlines EuroLeague champion Kostas Papanikolaou became the fifth guest of the 2020-21 season on The Crossover with Joe Arlauckas. The 2013 EuroLeague Rising Star shared his road to becoming a young continental champion, some of the highs and lows of his career, and the outlook ahead for Olympiacos Piraeus – as well as for himself as an expectant first-time father!

Papanikolaou would never have achieved basketball greatness without the love and support of his parents. His father, a policeman, helped Kostas decide to dedicate himself to basketball instead of his first sport, volleyball. His parents supported him when he joined Aris Thessaloniki and when his fast track to stardom hit a speed bump with Papanikolaou's release from the Greek Under-16 national team. However, what could have set him up for failure became his motivational tool.

[15:45] " That upset me a lot, made me sad a lot, and gave me a purpose to keep working hard for the next year... And I think that was the moment I realized I've gotta work hard if I want to make something, if I want to have success in something in basketball," Papanikolaou said. "I wasn't the most talented player my age. There were guys much more talented than me and well-known all over Greece, and some of them all over Europe, too. That year for me was the year I sat down and worked hard."

Ever the realist, Papanikolaou explained to Joe – and sometimes shares with younger players – that another important ingredient to high-level success is luck. Though he felt he made the correct decision to join Olympiacos in the summer of 2009 to play for Coach Panagiotis Giannakis, it all could have fallen apart if the next head coach did not believe in him. However, the next man on the Reds sidelines was Dusan Ivkovic, who gave Papanikolaou as much as he could handle, including a major role as the team made history by capturing the 2012 EuroLeague title in Istanbul.

[26:30] "I was just not thinking, playing the game. I believe that was the most relaxed I have been in such a crucial game," Papanikolaou said about the semifinal win over FC Barcelona. "Maybe because I didn't realize how crucial that game was because of my age. I thought, 'Even if we lose, no one will blame me for anything. We already did the best we could do.' I don't know. Maybe… I cannot find the words to explain anything about that weekend… It's such a magical moment not only for me, but for the club, the history of the club."

After helping the Reds repeat as champs in 2013, Papanikolaou's career took him abroad, first to play for FC Barcelona, and then to spend parts of two seasons in the NBA with Houston and Denver. When the time was right to return home, he rejoined Olympiacos in January 2016, helping the club back to the EuroLeague championship game a year later. Though they have not been back to the Final Four since, Papanikolaou is convinced good times are ahead.

[1:00:00] "I really feel excited about where Olympiacos is heading right now. Yes, we had two years that were not the best for us. A lot of changes happened. But you cannot just flip a switch and get back where you used to be," Papanikolaou said. "This is, I believe, the first season in a process for us to rebuild and get back to where Olympiacos used to be and where we want to have the team for our fans and the club itself. I believe that this will not take long."

Among the many topics that Papanikolaou and Arlauckas bonded over is their shared love of being One Team Ambassadors for Euroleague Basketball's corporate social responsibility program, including how difficult it has been to not be able to fill their typical roles over the past year due to social distancing. Papanikolaou explained what he loves about being a One Team Ambassador:

[1:14:00] "It doesn't take nothing, just an hour of your time, an hour of your life, in order to give so much joy and so much feeling to all those kids. And what is most surprising is that when you are there, during this hour, you realize at some point that it is not only what you give them, it's what you get back."

With a one-hour format of exclusive one-on-one interviews, The Crossover with Joe Arlauckas goes well beyond the playing court with each podcast to delve into the life experiences that have made his guests protagonists and legends of the EuroLeague. The Crossover debuted in 2018 and has featured such current stars as Toko Shengelia, Shane Larkin and Kyle Hines, coaching greats such as Ettore Messina, Pablo Laso and Zeljko Obradovic, and legends like Theo Papaloukas, Nikola Vujcic and Mike Batiste, among others. Papanikolaou is the fifth guest for the 2020-21 season.

The Crossover with Joe Arlauckas is available on Youtube, [iTunes](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-crossover-with-joe-arlauckas/id1440034922), [Audioboom](https://audioboom.com/channel/the-crossover-with-joe-arlauckas), [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/show/6T1SYvGSpzyrYZpG9z2wjR), [Deezer](https://www.deezer.com/fr/show/65962), [RadioPublic](https://radiopublic.com/the-crossover-with-joe-arlauckas-6NkdjJ), [Google Podcasts](https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hdWRpb2Jvb20uY29tL2NoYW5uZWxzLzQ4ODM3OTkucnNz?sa=X&ved=0CAMQ4aUDahcKEwiYzr_b78XtAhUAAAAAHQAAAAAQAQ), [TuneIn](https://tunein.com/podcasts/Sports--Recreation-Podcasts/The-Crossover-with-Joe-Arlauckas-p1174586/), [Stitcher](https://www.stitcher.com/show/the-crossover-with-joe-arlauckas), [CastBox](https://castbox.fm/channel/The-Crossover-with-Joe-Arlauckas-id1467328?country=gb), [iVoox](https://www.ivoox.com/podcast-the-crossover-with-joe-arlauckas_sq_f1629856_1.html) and other platforms.

An Olympiacos legend is Joe Arlauckas's latest guest

Kostas Papanikolaou joins The Crossover

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