Turkish Airlines EuroLeague: CSKA Moscow thrives

Turkish Aitlines EuroLeague

Round 25 of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season is underway. There were five games to raise the curtain on the week’s action on Thursday. CSKA Moscow claimed top spot, at least for a day, with a cruising win over Galatasaray, while Baskonia Vitoria took out Fenerbahce and Zalgiris scalped Panathinaikos.

There were a couple of important clashes between clubs in poor form. As Maccabi Tel Aviv hosted Milan and Barcelona hosted Unics Kazan, it was a chance to grab a rare win. As it was, both home teams edged out their opponents for victory.

CSKA Moscow vs. Galatasaray, 85-69

In a contest between EuroLeague and EuroCup champs, CSKA Moscow toppled Galatasaray at home and the title holder’s defence continues to go well. The Russian club is in sole possession of first place (19-6), at least until Real Madrid plays tomorrow. Galatasaray’s woes continue and the club is now 8-17 in mix at the bottom of the standings. The hosts put together a huge 33-12 second quarter for a 46-29 halftime lead. From there, CSKA never looked back as Nando De Colo drained 22 points in the win.

Fenerbahce Istanbul vs. Baskonia Vitoria, 74-79

Baskonia made the tough trip to Istanbul and went back to Spain with a big win over Fenerbahce. The loss dents Fener’s push at the top of the table, the Turkish champs are now on a 16-9 record, but stay in 4th. Vitoria is now 7th with a 14-11 showing. The guests stayed a step-in front during the first half and the 35-43 mid-point advantage paid as Fenerbahce won the third and fourth acts, but could not correct the game. Shane Larkin dropped 19 points in the win, while Bogdan Bogdanovic shone for Fenerbahce with a game-high 26 points.

Zalgiris Kaunas vs. Panathinaikos Athens, 64-58

Zalgiris Kaunas picked up a huge Turkish Airlines EuroLeague win with a home success over Panathinaikos. The Lithuanian champs have crept up the standings to tenth after a solid few weeks in the competition. Panathinaikos has lost two on the spin, but stays sixth with a 14-11 record. The hosts looked dejected after Panathinaikos raced to a 19-31 lead through the long break. However, Zalgiris cut the deficit by five in the third and then drained 30 game-winning points in the decider.

Editor’s Note: If you want more information about the EuroLeague, or other international leagues, you can check out Court Side’s Game Center.

Maccabi FOX Tel Aviv vs. EA7 Emporio Armani Milan, 92-82

Maccabi Tel Aviv was forced to go big at home to dispatch Milan. Both these teams have found wins hard to come by and have been on some of the biggest droughts in the league this season. This was a huge contest, then; the winner could grab some much-needed confidence. The hosts scored heavy in the first half, draining 51 points for a 16-point lead. Milan improved in the second half, but Tel Aviv held on with points in the bank. The winners move to 9-10, while Milan slips to 7-18 in joint last.

FC Barcelona vs. Unics Kazan, 70-62

Milan is spared the indignity of sitting bottom tonight thanks to Unics Kazan. The Russian club is in terrible form and could not even beat Barcelona. That may be flippant, but this is a poor Barcelona team and not the European conquering giants of other seasons. Either way, neither of these clubs could buy a win recently, so something had to give. As it was, Barca took the spoils, although it was far from convincing from a club that expected to be battling at the top this season, not the bottom. The Spanish giant is now in 11th place with a 10-15 record.

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