Euroleague: Barcelona hits CSKA in OT
After Fenerbahce became the first club to punch its ticket to the Euroleague Quarterfinal on Thursday, the remaining Top 16 Round10 games saw clubs once against jostling for position in the race for the last eight. There was plenty of excitement on Friday, with Anadolu Efes defeating Darussafaka Dogus an Istanbul derby, while Crvena Zvezda Belgrade downed Panathinaikos Athens in Gorup E.
In Group F, Euroleague fans were treated to a mini classic as Barcelona continued to rebound with an overtime win over CSKA Moscow in the Russian capital. Real Madrid also took another step towards the Quarterfinal with a road victory over Zalgiris Kaunas.
Group E
Darussafaka Dogus Istanbul vs. Anadolu Efes Istanbul, 68-72
Anadolu Efes moved to 4-6 in the standings, one place outside the playoffs, with this win. The Turkish club overcame Istanbul rival Darussafaka and will now try to hunt down Panathinaikos in fourth place (6-4). An 11-21 run in the second frame gave the guests a boost and 26-34 halftime lead, Anadolu Efes road a losing second half to snatch the win. Thomas Huertal paced the win with 21 points, followed by Jayson Granger with 14 points. Scottie Wilbekin paced the home team with 17 points.
Crvena Zvezda Belgrade vs. Panathinaikos Athens, 69-67
Serbian champ Crvena Zvezda cemented its reputation of 2015/2016 Euroleague surprise package with a win over Greek heavyweight, Panathinaikos. The Red Star hosts moved to 6-4 alongside their rivals here, and in the process snapped a five game winning streak for Panathinaikos. After a 10-18 winning first stanza, the guests won the second to lead 28-31 through halftime. In the second half Crvena Zvezda rallied and in a 25-11 third act built the win.
Group F
FC Barcelona Lassa vs. CSKA Moscow, 100-98
This clash between former recent Euroleague winners and frequent Final Four competitors lived up to its billing with a classic game of hoops. Hosts Barcelona edged the game in overtime to move to 5-5 in fourth place, not really that bad considering the indifferent form the club has shown this campaign. CSKA remains in the hunt for top spot at 7-3, but after rallying from 48-37 at halftime to tie the game 85-85 through regulation the visitors slipped in the added period.
Zalgiris Kaunas vs. Real Madrid, 75-90
Barcelona’s arch nemesis, Real Madrid, went big on the road to take out Zalgiris Kaunas, with Los Blancos nailing down third place (6-4) for another week. Barca and Madrid will clash next week, but here the Spanish giant was in fine form, led by the stunning shooting of Andres Nocioni. The player put together an historic game, shooting six from six from downtown to tie a Real Madrid club record. Finishing on 21 points and 7 rebounds, Nocioni was the difference as the visitors recorded an easy road win.