Turkish Airlines EuroLeague: Los Blancos lose first game
Round 5 of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague got underway on Thursday with five games in Europe’s elite competition. On the night, Real Madrid lost its 100% record to a Khimki team bouncing back from its first defeat last week. Brose Bamberg secured its third straight win with a success over Crvena Zvezda. Turkish Airlines EuroLeague champs Fenerbahce were too hot for Valencia, while Baskonia edged Panathinaikos for its first win of the campaign. Elsewhere, Maccabi Tel Aviv took out Milan.
Crvena Zvezda Belgrade vs. Brose Bamberg, 69-75
After a shaky start to the season, Brose Bamberg (3-2) is on a roll and collected its third consecutive victory in Belgrade, taking out Crvena Zvezda (2-3). The visitors built the win largely on the first quarter, where an 18-30 run allowed a cushion on the scoreboard. Crvena Zvezda did not lose a frame from there, but the damage was already done for the hosts as Bamberg held on for victory in the closing stanza.
Fenerbahce Istanbul vs. Valencia Basket, 79-66
Fenerbahce’s solid if unspectacular start to its Turkish Airlines EuroLeague title defence faced its toughest test this week. Sure, the loss to Panathinaikos last week counts very much as a firm test, but losing in Athens is not a disaster. This week, Fenerbahce (3-2) welcome Spanish champs Valencia (3-2) and saw them off in style. It was a close game, but the hosts mostly controlled the outcome by taking significant leads when it mattered.
Baskonia Vitoria vs. Panathinaikos Athens, 85-84
The Baskonia (1-4) organization has probably been praying for a win of any kind after losing four from four so far. So, taking out former champs Panathinaikos (2-3) by single point will do the trick, getting the Spanish team off the board. Panathinaikos will rue the missed opportunity as the Greek giant led 63-67 through thirty minutes. However, Baskonia finally mustered some fighting spirit and used a timely 22-17 run in the fourth act to secure the game.
Maccabi Tel Aviv vs. Milan, 79-68
Milan (1-4) picked up its own first win of the season last week, but could not repeat the success in Tel Aviv (3-2) on Wednesday. The Israeli hosts simply had the quality in the key areas, and Maccabi fans will be relatively happy with the resurgent team this campaign. The home team controlled the first half and led 39-29 heading in for the long break. Milan struggled to trouble that double-digit deficit as Maccabi rode to a cruising win, despite dropping the fourth quarter 19-26.
Real Madrid vs. Khimki Moscow Region, 80-86
Real Madrid has already demolished one Moscow team in the Spanish capital this season, taking out CSKA Moscow last month. However, Khimki provided an unlikelier challenge to Los Blancos in a close fought game. Khimki has been good this season, The Russian club won its opening three games and today took Madrid’s unbeaten record. The visitors stayed one step ahead of Real Madrid throughout, winning the first three quarters to build the win.