Shaq McKissic leads Olympiacos past Panathinaikos in EuroLeague classic

Shaq McKissic made his home debut in the EuroLeague with Olympiacos and led the “Reds” to the 81-78 victory over rivals Panathinaikos.

In game where neither team led by more than eight points at any stage, McKissic made a stellar performance and helped Olympiacos remain alive in the playoff race.

McKissic posted a game-high 22 points, including several spectacular dunks, and was the main reason for the “Reds’ triumph.

On the other hand, Nick Calathes scored a team-high 18 points, while DeShaun Thomas missed the chance to force an overtime on the final play.

Olympiacos improved to 12-15 and maintained a playoff push, whereas Panathinaikos fell to 14-13, but remained sixth in the standings.

Despite playing without five players, Real Madrid won its sixth consecutive EuroLeague game, after beating Armani Milano on the road (73-78).

The game was played behind closed doors, due to the outbreak of the coronavirus.

The “Whites” came back twice from double-digit deficits (25-11, 45-35) and managed to earn the victory, despite the Italians’ late effort to ”steal” the win.

Vladimir Micov missed the three-pointer, though, with a chance to tie the game, and the Spaniards sealed the deal.

Rudy Fernandez led the winners with 16 points, while Riccardo Moraschini paced Milano with a career-high 21.

Real raised its record to 21-6 and has already qualified for the EuroLeague playoffs. For its part, Armani is at 11-16 and its playoff hopes are in jeopardy.

Zalgiris Kaunas led from start to finish and rallied past Khimki at the Zalgirio Arena (96-85).

The Lithuanians won their third in a row and sixth in their last seven games and are still fighting for a playoff spot.

Both teams have identical records (12-15), with Zalgiris capturing the head-to-head tiebreaker between them.

The game also snapped an eight-game winning streak for Khimki in games between the teams.

CSKA Moscow returned to the winning track by holding off Russian rival Zenit St Petersburg at home (86-78).

The Muscovites improved to 18-9 and are on the verge of qualifying for the EuroLeague postseason.

Zenit, on the other hand, remains at the bottom of the EuroLeague standings with a 7-20 record.

Mike James shined for the hosts with a team-high 27 points. Austin Hollins had a game-high 28 for the losing squad.

ASVEL Villeurbanne picked up a much-needed victory by fending off Valencia 72-65 at home.

The French put an end to a three-game losing streak and now have a 10-17 record.

For their part, the Spaniards dropped their third straight and are 12-15 on the season.

Valencia had grabbed four wins in the last five road games, but the defeat was a blow in their fight for the playoffs.