Euroleague: Olympiacos vs. Panathinaikos and Real Madrid vs. CSKA Moscow

Two massive games defined the week’s action in the Euroleague this season. A Greek derby saw Olympiacos pull away from Panathinaikos in the second quarter. In the other game, Real Madrid took out CSKA Moscow in a clash of Euroleague giants.

Elsewhere, Fenerbahce edged past EA7 Emporio Milan in Istanbul, while Crvena Zvezda Belgrade completed a fantastic two weeks with a road cruise over Zalgiris Kaunas.

Fenerbahce Istanbul vs. EA7 Emporio Armani, 86-79

Fenerbahce outgunned Milan to move to 10-6 in the standings. The Turkish team handed Milan its ninth successive loss. The Italian champs are in free fall and without a Euroleague win since November 15, sitting on 4-12 at the bottom of the standings. It was a one point game through halftime, with Fenerbahce leading 41-40. The hosts gained momentum in the third act and rode it to victory. James Nunnally led the win with 19 points, followed by Ekpe Udoh with 18 points and 7 rebounds. Mantas Kalnietis topped the scoring with 20 points for Milan.

Zalgiris Kaunas vs. Crvena Zvezda Belgrade, 61-77

Crvena Zvezda traveled to Lithuania and took out Zalgiris in commanding fashion. The Serbian club is sitting on a three game winning streak which includes wins over the last two Euroleague champions (Real Madrid and CSKA Moscow). This latest success sends the club to 8-8, while Zalgiris Kaunas slips to 6-10. The guests drained 47 points in the first half to take control of the game and never looked back, winning each frame of the contest. Marko Simonovic paced the win with 15 points.

Olympiacos Piraeus vs. Panathinaikos Athens, 77-69

One of Europe’s hottest games played out on Friday as Olympiacos played host to arch rival Panathinaikos. This Greek derby classic went in favor of Olympiacos. The game was close through the long break, with the hosts leading 38-37. Olympiacos pulled away in the second half as Panathinaikos struggled to maintain consistency at the bucket. Olympiacos moved to 11-5 in second place, while Panathinaikos fell to 9-7.

Real Madrid vs. CSKA Moscow, 95-85

2015 Euroleague champs Real Madrid downed 2016 Euroleague champs CSKA Moscow at home to move to 11-5 in a tie for second place. League leaders CSKA Moscow stay top with a 12-4 record, but the club has lost three of its last four and the defending champions has its first problems of the season. This high scoring game saw the clubs trade buckets for large periods. The hosts only pulled away in the fourth quarter, using a 21-15 run to win.