EuroLeague Regular Season – Round 5 MVP: Mathias Lessort, Panathinaikos Athens

Playing in his 100th Turkish Airlines EuroLeague game, Mathias Lessort was everywhere for Panathinaikos Athens in a 95-81 win over the visiting Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz on Friday night, celebrating the occasion with his first MVP of the Round honor.

In a 95-81, Lessort set new career highs with 23 points and 14 rebounds. He made 8-of-16 two-point shots and 7-of-8 free throws, while pulling down 7 rebounds each on the offensive and defensive ends of the floor. He also delivered 2 blocks and 1 assist for a PIR of 31, the best mark by any winning player in Round 5.

The highest PIR, 36, in this round belongs to EA7 Emporio Armani Milan forward Nikola Mirotic, however it came in a losing effort. In an 85-82 defeat against ALBA Berlin, Mirotic had 30 points, one shy of his career high, 12 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block and 7 drawn fouls. A pair of Turkish Airlines EuroLeague veterans, Mike James of AS Monaco and ALBA’s Johannes Thiemann, each had a PIR of 30. On a night when he became only the fourth, and fastest, player ever to reach 4,000 career points during 107-79 win over Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv, James had 24 points, 5 assists, 4 rebounds and 1 steal in just 21 minutes on the floor. Thieman scored 22 points, a personal best in 103 appearances, with 6 rebounds, 2 assists, a steal and 8 fouls drawn. Rounding out the list of Round 5 best performers is Tornike Shengelia of Virtus Segafredo Bologna with a PIR of 29. In an 84-87 win at LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne, Shengelia collected 18 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals and 1 block.

Individual highs: Nikola Mirotic, Milan, 30 points

Mirotic led all players in Round 5 with 30 points. Mirotic is the scoring leader with 22.5 points per game.

Lessort’s 14 rebounds were the most this round, which also matched the league high this season. Baskonia’s Tadas Sedekerskis leads the league in rebounding, averaging 8.8 per night.

ASVEL point guard Paris Lee had 10 assists, the most of any player in Round 5. Facundo Campazzo of Real Madrid is the assists leader with 8.2 per contest.

Lee was also the only player this week with 4 steals. Lee and Chris Jones of Valencia Basket are tied atop the steals charts with 2.0 per game.

Virtus big man Jordan Mickey had 4 blocks, the most in Round 5. Serge Ibaka of FC Bayern Munich leads all shot blockers with 2.3 per night.

Lessort, Mirotic and FC Barcelona’s Jan Vesely, with 12 points and 10 rebounds, are the three players who recorded a double-double in Round 5.