Euroleague, repeat of last season’s final
It’s true that there is never a dull moment in the Euroleague, especially through the Top 16 phase where every single game is a contest between two mammoth clubs. Take the opening day of Round 5 action for example, you had current champs Maccabi Tel-Aviv taking out Real Madrid, CSKA Moscow going big to find an overtime win in a Russian derby, and Anadolu Efes getting back on track by handing Olympiacos its first defeat of the Top 16.
To top it all off, Crvena Zvezda finally found a win after five weeks, while Laboral Kutxa troubled the scoreboard in pursuit of victory. What could top all of that? Well, Friday’s action will see three more games tie up Round 5 of the Euroleague Top 16 and there will undoubtedly be plenty more enthralling hoops along the way.
Group E
A rematch of last season’s championship game produced the same result and indeed the same build up. Real Madrid entered its road game against Maccabi Tel Aviv in form, while the Israeli powerhouse has done well, but has not pulled up any proverbial trees. However, Maccabi Tel Aviv dug deep once more and the reigning Euroleague champions downed Madrid 90-86 to overtake the Spaniards at the top of Group E (both teams on 4-1).
The loss snapped a four game unbeaten charge from Los Blancos, but it could have been different for the Spanish visitors down the stretch. As it was, Joe Alexander from the charity strip propelled the home team to victory in the closing seconds. Marquez Haynes and Sofoklis Schortsanitis paced the winning effort with 17 points apiece, while Felipe Reyes doubled up for Los Blancos with 20 points and 11 rebounds.
In danger of floundering at the foot of Group E and with time running out to put together a qualification burst, Serbian club Crvena Zvezda Belgrade found a win. The Red Star giant eased past ALBA Berlin 86-69 in front of its home fans. The victory ended a run of four Euroleague games without a win and kept the club in contention, despite still being last at 1-4. ALBA’s loss pushed the team to sixth place with a 2-3 record. Boban Marjanovic set the tone for the Belgrade giant with 17 points and 12 boards, a fine double-double performance where he pulled 9 off the defensive glass.
Group F
CSKA Moscow’s unbeaten Euroleague stretch was severely tested in an all-Russian encounter against Nizhny Novgorod in the nation’s capital city. As it was, CSKA outlasted their rival through overtime to claim a 103-95 win and make it 15 consecutive winning games in the Euroleague. After Olympiacos’ loss, the Moscow club now holds sole possession of first place in Group F with a 5-0 record, while Nizhny slips to sixth and 2-3.
Going through three quarters the home team held a 69-62 advantage, but Nizhny responded with a big 19-26 run in the final act to tie the game 88-88. In the added section, CSKA found another gear and managed to see off the threat from the Novgorod contingent and win the game. Milos Teodosic set a game high 25 points, followed by 22 points from Andrey Vorontsevich for CSKA. The top bucket getters for Nizhny were Taylor Rochestie and Trey Thompkins, with both bagging 22 points. Tarance Kinsey doubled up in the losing effort, taking 19 points and 10 boards.
Laboral Kutxa Vitoria added a second win of the Top 16 stage with a 102-83 cruise at the expense of EA7 Armani Milan. The Spanish club dictated the pace on the hardwood for long spells to move to 2-2 in the group, while Italian champs Milan slipped to 1-4. After two consecutive defeats, Anadolu Efes Istanbul was in danger of throwing away the good work that had the team pegged as this season’s surprise package. However, the Turkish club got back on track with an 84-70 home win over previously undefeated Olympiacos. The victory pushed Efes to 3-2, while Olympiacos held onto second place despite the loss (4-1).