Euroleague: Zoric’s 21 lifts Unicaja over Madrid
Unicaja Malaga traveled to Spanish rival Real Madrid on Friday for a Euroleague Top 16 contest and spoiled the celebratory parties for both Madrid and Anadolu Efes with a huge 74:77 upset over the Group E leader on their home court. Unicaja fought back from an earlier deficit, built an 11-point lead in the fourth quarter and then had to fight off a late rally by Madrid to pick up their fourth consecutive win, and snap Real Madrid’s 11-game home win streak. In other Group E contests CSKA Moscow defeated Zalgiris Kaunas, 70:61; Panathinaikos Athens pounded Alba Berlin, 82:58; and FC Barcelona Regal routed winless Besiktas JK, 86:61.
Group E
Real Madrid – Unicaja Malaga, 74:77
A win for Real Madrid would have locked up a playoff spot for both Madrid and Anadolu Efes, but Unicaja Malaga outlasted their hosts to pick up a 74:77 win and delayed the celebrations in Madrid and Istanbul for at least one more week. The victory improves Unicaja to 6-5, while Madrid drops to 9-2, even with Efes at the top of the group. The upset on Madrid’s home court is even more impressive for Malaga when the current standings of the Spain Liga Endesa are taken into consideration as Real Madrid currently tops the Spanish league with a 23-1 record and Unicaja Malaga is seated 10th with a 12-12 record. Madrid was playing without Rudy Fernandez due to back spasms. Unicaja got a double-double from Luka Zoric as he dropped in 21 points and grabbed 12 rebounds on his way to a PIR of 33 on the day.
The guests got the initial lead, getting up 4:11, but Madrid answered with a 15:2 run to extend a lead to six at 19:13. An exchange of jumpers closed out scoring in the first frame at 21:15 in favor of Madrid. Madrid opened the second frame with a 9:3 run to extend their lead to 12 points, 30:18, which is where the margin stayed for the duration of the quarter, bringing the score at halftime to 40:32.
As the second half started, Malaga’s Earl Calloway opened scoring with a jumper. Sergio Llull countered for Madrid, then Krunoslav Simon knocked down a triple that would prove to be the front end of a 0:15 run that took Unicaja from and eight point deficit to a seven point advantage. Jaycee Carroll hit the cords with a three-ball to end the Madrid scoring drought and the rest of the quarter was dominated by free throws, but the clubs exchanged baskets until the end of the quarter. The guests were on the top half of a 53:60 score when then the horn sounded to end the frame. Unicaja had outscored their hosts 13:28 in the third quarter.
The intensity kicked up during the final 10 with the two clubs realizing how desperate the situation was getting. Madrid was clinging to an 11-game home win streak and the opportunity to clinch a spot in the next round and Unicaja was hungry for the upset win and to keep their playoff hopes alive. The pace was fast and furious and the guests took advantage of it early, running off six unanswered to push their lead to 11 after Madrid opened the scoring in the frame with a Nikola Mirotic jumper. Madrid countered with eight straight of their own, which included six from Sergio Rodriguez, which cut the lead to three, 63:66. Fran Vasquez hit a deuce for Unicaja to push the lead back to five, but then Marcus Slaughter split a pair of singles and Rodriquez drained a triple to cut the gap to one, 67:68. Marcus Williams gave the visitors some breathing room with a three-pointer. It came down to free throws in the final seconds, including two key misses by Williams that could have iced the game for Unicaja, and Madrid converted to cut the lead to two, 71:73. Simon hit a pair of singles and Vasquez stuffed an attempted lay-up by Rodriquez. Zoric dropped in two free throws right before Mirotic connected on a three-pointer at the buzzer to close the scoring at 74:77.
Unicaja now sits at 6-5 and in the No. 5 spot in Group E, one game below Panathinaikos. Unicaja will wrap up the Top 16 round with CSKA Moscow in Week 12, Anadolu Efes in Week 13, and Alba Berlin in Week 14.
Zoric was game-high for Unicaja with 21, along with his 12 rebounds and 33 PIR. Simon added 18 points and 5 rebounds, and Vasquez connected on 10 points.
Rodriguez was team-high for Madrid with 17 points and 6 assists. Mirotic added 12 points and 8 rebounds, Carroll contributed 10 points.
CSKA Moscow – Zalgiris Kaunas, 70:61
CSKA Moscow used a big fourth quarter against Zalgiris to defeat the Lithuanian club, 70:61, and improve to 8-3 and just one game out of the top spot in Group E. Zalgiris drops to 4-7 and has been eliminated from playoff contention as the only team they could tie in the top four of Group E is Panathinaikos, a team that has beaten Zalgiris twice. CSKA has Unicaja Malaga in Week 12, Real Madrid in Week 13, and Panathinaikos in Week 14, so they’ve got a tough schedule to close out the Top 16 round.
The Russian club had a solid first half, getting up 17:12 after the first quarter and then 35:26 at the half. CSKA kept the pressure on at the start of the third with a 10:4 run that gave them a 15-point lead at 45:30. Shortly after, Zalgiris made a game out of it as they ran off 14 straight to knot that score at 48 as the horn sounded to end the third.
CSKA took control in the fourth, scoring eight unanswered early on and then holding on for the win to pick up the important eighth win.
Sonny Weeks led CSKA with 13 points, 3 assists and 3 steals. Viktor Khryapa contributed12 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocked shots.
Rimantas Kaukenas was game-high for Zalgiris with 16 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 steals. Oliver Lafayette added 11 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals.
Panathinaikos Athens – Alba Berlin, 82:58
Panathinaikos took care of business on Friday when they hosted Alba Berlin in a Week 11 contest. The Greens were able to hold on to their No. 4 seeding in Group E with a solid 82:58 win over the German club, while dropping Alba’s record to 1-10 with the loss. Panathinaikos is only one game up on Unicaja with three weeks to play and will face Real Madrid in Week 12, Brose Baskets in Week 13, and CSKA Moscow in Week 14.
The Greens used a 14:2 run in the early part of the first quarter to get up 21:11 at the end of the first 10 and then another 14:4 run at the end of the first half to take a 50:28 lead into the break. It didn’t get any easier for Alba in the third frame as the hosts tacked on another eight to their lead to close out the third frame up 30, 67:37. The visitors were able to run off 11 unanswered in the fourth to cut the lead at the buzzer to 24-points, 82:58.
Jonas Maciulis led Athens with 16 points and 6 rebounds. Stephane Lasme added 14 points, and Sofoklis Schortsanitis contributed 10 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 assists.
Alba got 9 points from Dashaun Wood, and 8 from Nihad Djecdovic.
Group F
FC Barcelona Regal – Besiktas JK, 86:61
FC Barcelona had little trouble with winless Besiktas to notch their 10th win in the Euroleague Top 16 round. The Spanish club’s victory gives them a nine-game Top 16 winning streak and improves their season mark to 10-1, while Besiktas drops to 0-11. The win also locks up home court advantage for Barcelona throughout he playoffs.
The hosts got out quick in the first frame and built a 17:4 advantage mid-way through and had a 14-point advantage, 29:15, at the end of the first 10. Taking the ball into the paint to big man Nate Jawai was the strategy in the second with the shooters on the bench. By mid-way through the second the lead had extended to 19, 39:20, but Besiktas was able to cut it down to 16 at the half, 47:31. The second half was much of the same, but played with the substitutes, yet the lead pushed back to 17, 67:50. Besiktas tried everything in the fourth quarter to mount a comeback, but were unable to do so and Barça was able to add to the margin to end the contest up 25, 86:61.
Jawai lead Barça with 16 points and 9 rebounds. Erazem Lorbek added 12 points and 5 rebounds, Pete Mickeal and Ante Tomic (7 rebounds) each contributed 11 points.
Cevher Ozer was game-high with 18 points for Barcelong s;m, he also grabbed 6 rebounds. Vidmar Gasper added 13 points and 5 rebounds on the day.
Euroleague Group E
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Euroleague Group F
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