The regular season is in the books, the Play-In dust has settled, and the 2026 EuroLeague quarterfinals are ready to tip off. If you tracked every round or just checked box scores with your morning coffee, here is what you missed now that the real basketball begins. And if you want extra entertainment while you wait for tip-off, check out live casino Canada between games.
Sasha Vezenkov Made the Scoring Race Look Easy
Sasha Vezenkov did not just win the Alphonso Ford Trophy. He made the entire scoring race feel like a formality by February. The Olympiacos forward posted 19.4 points per game across 34 appearances, and he reached double figures in 33 of those.
That is not a hot streak. That is a masterclass in consistency. He also grabbed 6.6 rebounds per night and led the league in PIR at 23.1, which tells you he impacted far more than the scoreboard. Vezenkov shot 62.5 percent inside the arc and nearly cracked the 50-40-90 club, falling just short from three at 39.6 percent. When a player scores at that level with that efficiency, you stop calling it a breakout and start calling it standard procedure.
Jean Montero Rewrote the Rising Star Script
Valencia point guard Jean Montero took home the Rising Star award, and the voting was not close. At 21 years old, the Dominican guard became the first player to win both the EuroCup and EuroLeague Rising Star honors, which is a neat way of saying he dominates every level he touches. Montero averaged 13.3 points and 4.5 assists per game while posting a team-high 15.7 PIR for a Valencia squad that finished second in the standings.
He runs the offense for Pedro Martinez, who also earned Coach of the Year, and he does it with the confidence of a veteran who has seen every scheme twice. You do not often see a young guard command a top-four EuroLeague offense this early. Montero makes it look easy.
Other young names deserve a quick shout. Saliou Niang at Virtus brought energy all season, posting double-doubles against Dubai and Baskonia. Momo Faye anchored the paint for Paris at just 21. Keep both names on your radar for next fall.
The Playoff Bracket Is Set
The play-in tournament gave us our final answers. Panathinaikos punched their ticket with an 87-79 win over Monaco on April 21, and Barcelona eliminated Crvena Zvezda that same night. Monaco then beat Barcelona in the decisive play-in to grab the eighth seed.
Olympiacos earned the top seed and faces Monaco starting April 28. Valencia draws Panathinaikos in what feels like the most volatile series of the round. Real Madrid gets Hapoel Tel Aviv, while Fenerbahce and Zalgiris face off in a matchup that could go five games. EuroLeague.net has the full schedule if you need tip times. The Final Four lands in Athens on May 22-24, so the road to a title runs through one of Europe’s most iconic basketball cities.
Standout Performances You Might Have Missed
Beyond the headlines, a few players deserve recognition. Elijah Bryant returned from injury at Hapoel and immediately looked elite, dropping a 34-PIR night on Milan. Mfiondu Kabengele at Dubai finished as the second-highest PIR producer among centers despite being a EuroLeague rookie, posting 14.6 points and 6.2 rebounds per game.
Sylvain Francisco delivered another clutch fourth quarter for Zalgiris, scoring all 14 of his points in the final frame against Barcelona. Nate Reuvers also deserves mention after a 33-point outing against Virtus where he missed exactly one shot. That is the kind of efficiency that wins playoff series.
What Comes Next
The quarterfinals begin April 28, and every series brings a storyline. Can Vezenkov and Olympiacos defend their crown? Will Montero and Valencia keep their run alive? Does Real Madrid have enough depth to survive Hapoel?
You will get answers soon enough. Set your alarms and enjoy the best European basketball of the year.
