Moses Wright Claims Round 28 MVP as Zalgiris Shine Against Hapoel

Moses Wright Claims Round 28 MVP as Zalgiris Shine Against Hapoel

Moses Wright delivered a career-best EuroLeague performance in Round 28, posting a game-high 34 efficiency to earn Round MVP honours and lead Zalgiris Kaunas to a crucial victory over Hapoel IBI Tel Aviv. The American big man scored 25 points and pulled down six rebounds in a dominant display that not only sealed the win but also landed his outing among the season’s top individual performances. Wright’s 34 PIR ranks 37th in the overall season standings for single-game efficiency—a round that saw multiple players crack the league’s elite performance list and several stars playing well above their season averages.

Where Round 28 Stands in the Season’s Best Performances

Round 28 produced two of the top 50 single-game efficiency outings of the campaign. Wright’s 34 PIR sits in a tie for 37th place overall, alongside other 34-PIR games from the likes of Jordan Nwora and PJ Dozier earlier in the season. Right behind him, Mfiondu Kabengele of Dubai Basketball recorded a 32 efficiency in his team’s road win at EA7 Emporio Armani Milan—good for 49th in the overall season rankings. That puts both Round 28’s MVP and runner-up firmly in the “best of the season” conversation. The round’s best still sit some way off the absolute peak: Tornike Shengelia’s 42 PIR in Round 8 remains the benchmark, with several 38–40 PIR nights filling the top ten. Even so, Round 28 was one of the more productive rounds for star turns, with five players reaching at least 29 efficiency and eleven at 25 or above.

Wright and Kabengele: Big Men on Fire

Wright’s Round 28 explosion was a clear outlier relative to his season norms. Coming into the round he averaged 15.64 efficiency and 12.68 points per game; his 34 PIR and 25 points represented a massive spike and showed what he can do when he gets rolling inside. For Zalgiris, his ability to finish at the rim and control the glass was the difference in a must-win context. Kabengele was equally impressive for Dubai. His 22 points and 10 rebounds (32 PIR) came against a season average of 17.54 efficiency and 13.88 points—a huge jump that underlined his importance as a rim-running and rebounding force. His double-double in Milan was one of the round’s most complete big-man performances and kept Dubai in the playoff mix.

Playmakers and All-Around Stars Shine

Tamir Blatt of Maccabi Rapyd Tel Aviv and Juancho Hernangomez of Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens each finished the round with 31 efficiency—tied for third. Blatt stuffed the stat sheet with 20 points, nine assists, and six rebounds, showcasing the kind of dual-threat playmaking that has made him essential for Maccabi. Hernangomez, meanwhile, went for 18 points and 12 rebounds with two steals, using his length and activity to impact the game on both ends. Roman Sorkin, also of Maccabi, added a 29-PIR night (21 points, seven assists, four rebounds, two blocks), giving the Israeli side two of the round’s most impactful performers.

Tarik Biberovic continued his strong run for Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul with 26 points and a 28 efficiency—his second straight round among the leaders and well above his season scoring average. Cole Swider of Anadolu Efes Istanbul broke out with 22 points and 27 PIR, a major step up from his usual role and a sign of his growing confidence as a floor-spacing forward. Sasha Vezenkov of Olympiacos Piraeus stayed in his usual elite company with 23 points and eight rebounds (25 PIR), in line with his league-leading 23.44 average efficiency and reinforcing his status as one of the season’s most consistent stars.

Obst’s Scoring Barrage and Dimitrijevic’s Dime-Dropping

No player scored more in Round 28 than Andreas Obst. The FC Bayern Munich guard erupted for 33 points to go with three assists and two rebounds (25 PIR), carrying the offensive load in a critical fixture. Obst’s season average of 15.46 points made the 33-point outburst a clear season-high-level performance and a reminder of his ability to take over games from the perimeter. On the playmaking side, Neno Dimitrijevic, also of Bayern, dished 10 assists to go with 15 points and 25 PIR—a classic point-guard masterclass that gave the round a distinct backcourt flavour alongside the dominant bigs.

Dan Oturu of Hapoel IBI Tel Aviv and Wade Baldwin IV of Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul rounded out the round’s standout names. Oturu put up 22 points, four boards, a block and a steal (25 PIR), while Baldwin orchestrated with 13 points, nine assists, four rebounds and a block (21 PIR), both reinforcing their teams’ balance and depth as the playoff race tightens.

Round 28 in Context: Depth Over a Single Super-Show

Round 28 did not produce a once-in-a-season 40+ PIR explosion, but it did deliver exceptional depth at the top. With Wright and Kabengele in the season’s top 50 for efficiency, and a long list of 25+ PIR outings from Wright, Kabengele, Blatt, Hernangomez, Sorkin, Biberovic, Swider, Vezenkov, Obst, Dimitrijevic, Oturu, and others, the round stood out for collective star power. Teams leaning on a single go-to option were overshadowed by sides that got multiple high-level performances—Zalgiris with Wright, Maccabi with Blatt and Sorkin, Bayern with Obst and Dimitrijevic, and Dubai with Kabengele. As the regular season winds down, Round 28 will be remembered as the round when Moses Wright announced himself as a genuine MVP candidate for the week and when several other stars proved they can carry their teams when it matters most.