Turkish Airlines EuroLeague: big wins on Friday
Round 19 of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague wrapped on Friday with some important games. Fenerbahce beat Anadolu Efes in an Istanbul derby, while CSKA consolidated first place with a win over Panathinaikos. Unicaja Malaga had too much at home for Real Madrid and Milan capped a good week with victory over Baskonia.
Anadolu Efes Istanbul vs. Fenerbahce Istanbul, 84-89
Reigning Turkish Airlines EuroLeague champs Fenerbahce travelled to Anadolu Efes for a hotly contested Istanbul derby. The champions came away with a narrow win to move up the standings to second place at 13-6 while Anadolu Efes is now clear at the bottom of the standings at 5-14. The visitors erupted from a 24-24 first quarter with an 11-22 second quarter to move into a 35-46 halftime advantage. Fenerbahce could not run away in the second half and a 27-21 fourth act rally from the hosts made it tight at the death. However, Fener held on for the victory.
Panathinaikos Athens vs. CSKA Moscow, 70-75
CSKA Moscow solidified its position at the top of the standings with a win over fellow former Turkish Airlines EuroLeague champions Panathinaikos. The win pushes the Russian giant to 15-4, two wins clear of any other clubs. As for Panathinaikos, the team has lost its last two, albeit against Fenerbahce and CSKA, the last two champions of this competition. Still, The Greens are 12-7 in fifth place. A 9-16 second quarter hurt the hosts and allowed CSKA to take halftime lead which was extended throughout the second half.
Baskonia Vitoria vs. Milan, 82-83
Milan capped its best week of the season with a second consecutive win, following the 107-point haul on Wednesday. This win kept the Italian champs off the bottom of the standings, with a 6-13 record. Baskonia has lost two games this week and has slipped to 8-11 after a poor few days. The visitors were 36-47 through the long break, but Baskonia’s fighting spirit showed in the second half. The hosts pushed the issue, but ultimately Milan held on at the final buzzer.
Unicaja Malaga vs. Real Madrid, 80-75
Unicaja Malaga halted Real Madrid’s five game winning streak by stopping its own losing run. In an all-Spanish game, the EuroCup champs downed their more illustrious compatriots to move to 8-11 in the standings. The last time Madrid slipped after a big winning run, the team lost five from six. The former titles holders will hope history does not repeat. At the moment, Los Blancos is at 12-7 in fourth place.