Turkish Airlines EuroLeague: Round 23 underway
The 2016/2017 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague took a week off for domestic cup competitions, but the league is back with Round 23, which opened with four games on Thursday. Reigning champs CSKA Moscow took out Tel Aviv in a battle of the EuroLeague giants, while Fenerbahce edged Olympiacos. Elsewhere, Crvena Zvezda Belgrade demolished Galatasaray, and Barcelona downed Milan on the road.
CSKA Moscow vs. Maccabi Tel Aviv, 93-81
In a clash between Euroleague giants and multiple champions, defending champs CSKA Moscow overcame struggling Tel Aviv in the Russian capital. The win pushes CSKA to 18-6 at the top of the standings, at least until Real Madrid plays tomorrow. The hosts drained 53 points in the first half, but Tel Aviv kept pace thanks to a 34 points haul in the second frame. CSKA pulled away in the fourth quarter with 24 points. Nando De Colo was outstanding in the win and claimed 29 points, while Kyle Hines added a double-double of 14 points and 10 rebounds.
Fenerbahce Istanbul vs. Olympiacos Piraeus, 67-64
The two clubs chasing down Real Madrid and CSKA met on Thursday, with Fenerbahce picking up a narrow home win over Olympiacos. The Turkish club moved closer to Olympiacos (16-7) by moving to fourth with a 15-8 record. The teams were locked 22-22 through 10 minutes, but Olympiacos had opened a 47-56 lead at the close of the third quarter. Fenerbahce rallied with a strong defensive fourth, taking a 20-8 run to secure the win. Bogdan Bogdanovic had an excellent game as he grabbed 27 points in the win.
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Crvena Zvezda Belgrade vs. Galatasaray Istanbul, 77-58
Crvena Zvezda got back to winning ways with a big win over EuroCup champ Galatasaray. The win sent the Serbian champs to 13-10 in sixth place, while Galatasaray dropped to 7-16 at the bottom of the standings. The hosts got the job done with a strong offensive first half that resulted in a 48-29 advantage. The teams shared the second half, but the hosts always looked comfortable.
EA7 Emporio Milan vs. FC Barcelona Lassa, 78-83
Barcelona collected a much-needed win on the EuroLeague against fellow struggler Milan. However, the victory does little to improve the position of the Spanish giant, which sits 9-14. It’s worse for Milan as the team sits joint last with a 7-17 record. Ante Tomic led Barca with 19 points and 9 rebounds.