Euroleague: Istanbul derby and Milan surge

As Round 19 of the Euroleague closed on Wednesday, there were three clubs in celebratory mood. Anadolu Efes defeated Darussafaka Dogus in a heated Istanbul derby, while Real Madrid topped Brose Bamberg by a bucket to move to the top of the standings. Elsewhere, a rejuvenated Milan secured a comfortable win over Olympiacos thanks to a blistering second half.

There is no rest on the continent this week as Round 20 tips off on Thursday and plays through Friday.

Anadolu Efes Istanbul vs. Darussafaka Dogus Istanbul, 93-81

A typically close fought Istanbul derby went against form as Anadolu Efes collected a victory to move to 9-10 in the standings. Thus, the club closes in on Darussafaka, with the losers now slipping to 10-9 through Round 19 of the Euroleague. The hosts managed to carve a 42-38 lead through halftime before 51 second half points put it out of reach for Darussafaka. Brandon Paul led the win with 21 points, while Brad Wanamaker top scored with 24 points for the losing effort. Also on form for the visitors was Ante Zizic with 16 points and 18 rebounds.

Brose Bamberg vs. Real Madrid, 89-91

The question is, should Bamberg be concerned by two consecutive losses? The German champs had been flying, but two defeats have now been cast. The answer maybe that the Bamberg faithful should keep that faith as those two losses have been at the hands of CSKA Moscow and today against Real Madrid … the last two Euroleague champs. Bamberg’s form still looks good for a push in the coming week. Nevertheless, the club is now on 7-12. Madrid on the other hand is now tied first and sits top of the standings with a 14-5 record. Los Blancos has capitalized on CSKA’s recent blip. Jaycee Carroll’s game high 24 points helped to push the visitors over the line as the game got very tight in the closing seconds.

EA7 Milan vs. Olympiacos Piraeus, 99-83

Without a win since November, Milan is suddenly sitting on a two-game winning streak. The Italians are finally breathing new life into their season and this win ever came against in form Olympiacos, a former champ. Milan is still struggling with 6-12 at the bottom, but there is now hope. Greek giant Olympiacos missed the chance to go top and now sits on 13-6. The game was tied 41-41 through the long break, but Milan exploded with an impressive 58 points second half driven by six players scoring double digits.