Euroleague: Fenerbahce tops CSKA Moscow 77-71

Turkish Airlines Euroleague action heated up in Round 21 with some amazing and exciting basketball taking place. Five of the eight games were on tap yesterday and the hardwood was chock-full of jaw-dropping plays.

Fenerbahce Istanbul vs. CSKA Moscow, 77-71

The rematch from last year’s Finals pairing did not disappoint. Injuries played a role in the outcome of the game, with CSKA Moscow missing the services of star point guard Milos Teodosic. On Fenerbahce’s end, Ekpe Udoh returned to action and he helped lead his team to victory on some tenacious defense in the paint.

Fenerbahce was constantly attacking the basket and made the right passes to the open man as CSKA Moscow’s defense made their switches. Easy buckets were an important factor for Fenerbahce to pull out the win. Ekpe Udoh was a force in the paint with 15-11 double-double in his return.

Nando de Colo would prove to be a solid backcourt presence for CSKA Moscow as he led the Russian giant with a game-high 23 points. He and Cory Higgins (11 points) would anchor the offense, but it was not enough to trade basket for basket with Fenerbahce.

The loss sends to former league leader down to second place in the standings with their 15-6 record. Real Madrid (15-5), which has yet to face Baskonia tonight, has the top spot for now. If Real Madrid should fall, three of Europe’s top clubs, (Real Madrid, CSKA Moscow, Olympiacos S.F.P Pireus) will be in a 3-way tie with 15-6 slates.

Unics Kazan vs. Olympiacos S.F.P Pireus, 75-90

The Greek Titans were shorthanded in this game as they were missing players who were out with injuries. In spite of that, they still managed to roll over their Russian hosts. They rained down 14-of-25 threes and bombarded them into submission. Erick Green and Georgios Printezis combined for six of those 14 triples to lead Olympiacos. Green finished with 25 points, while Printezis chipped in 20 markers of his own.

Olympiacos controlled the glass, making it difficult for Unics to capitalize on missed opportunities.

Keith Langford had a laudable effort for Unics, ending the game with 25 points and seven assists.

EA7 Emporio Armani Milano vs. Darussafaka Istanbul, 89-87

This was far and away the most exciting game of the round thus far. Armani somehow found it in them to climb back from a daunting 25-point deficit and claim the victory, much to the delight of the home crowd in attendance.

The game came down to the final 15 minutes as Armani mounted a 45-19 run that turned the game in their favor for good. Krunoslav Simon and Davide Pascolo combined for 30 points to lead Armani. Brad Wannamaker paced Darussafaka with 20 points and six assists.

Armani is now in 15th place in the standings as they improve to 7-14. Darussafaka falls to eighth place and is now 10-11.

The other two games played saw Zalgiris Kaunas improve their winning streak to three games and Brose Baskets end their four-game losing streak with a much-needed win. Zalgiris surged in the fourth quarter to prevail of FC Barcelona 89-85, in what was a tightly contested back-and-forth game. Bamberg easily dispatched with an in-flux Maccabi Tel-Aviv. The Israeli club made some key roster changes recently with the dismissal of Sonny Weems and are still making some adjustments.