Hapoel's Blakeney and Bryant Named Joint EuroLeague MVPs in Historic Win

Hapoel Tel Aviv continues to impress in the EuroLeague, setting historic milestones along the way. Antonio Blakeney and Elijah Bryant were named joint MVPs of the eighth round on Thursday, after both players finished with a performance index rating (PIR) of 35 in a dominant 118-88 victory over Anadolu Efes. This marks only the third time in EuroLeague history that two teammates have shared the round's MVP honors.

Blakeney delivered his finest performance in the competition, pouring in a career-high 35 points by shooting 4-of-5 from two-point range, 8-of-9 from beyond the arc, and 3-of-4 from the free-throw line. The American guard added 3 rebounds, an assist, and drew 4 fouls to claim his maiden MVP of the round award. His 35 points also established a new single-game scoring high for the current EuroLeague season.

Bryant put on an equally stellar all-around display, contributing 16 points alongside a career-high 12 assists, 3 rebounds, 4 steals, and 5 drawn fouls. He shot 4-of-5 from two, 2-of-2 from three, and 2-of-2 from the charity stripe, masterfully orchestrating the red-and-white offense. Bryant was the only player in the round to reach double digits in assists and tied for the most steals with 4 alongside Maccabi Tel Aviv's Bonzie Colson.

For Bryant, this is his third MVP of the round accolade this season and the sixth of his career. Blakeney becomes the third Hapoel Tel Aviv player to earn the prize this term, following Zach LeDay, who shared the honor in the seventh round. Teammate Dan Oturu also made waves in the victory, posting a PIR of 25 with 20 points, 5 rebounds, a steal, and 2 blocks.