Turkish Airlines EuroLeague: Round 18 closes
Round 18 of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague finished on Wednesday with some big wins around the corner. CSKA Moscow and Milan broke a century of points on their way to beating Anadolu Efes and Unicaja Malaga respectively. Fenerbahce passed a tricky test at home against Panathinaikos, while Real Madrid edged past Baskonia in an all-Spanish clash.
The action in the EuroLeague does not stop, with Round 19 commencing tomorrow before concluding a busy two-round week on Friday.
CSKA Moscow vs. Anadolu Efes Istanbul, 110-79
CSKA Moscow’s reign at the top of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague continued through Round 18 as the former multiple champion dominated Andolu Efes. This stylish victory keeps CSKA atop the standings at 14-4, one win above Olympiacos. As for Anadolu Efes, the Turkish club sits at the bottom of the standings on 5-13. The hosts drained 35 points for a 14-point lead after 10 minutes. From there it was plain sailing as CSKA tore Efes apart, including a 29-18 fourth quarter. Yes, this looked like a contest between the league leaders and the last-placed club.
Fenerbahce Istanbul vs. Panathinaikos Athens, 67-62
Another Istanbul club had a more positive Wednesday as current Turkish Airlines EuroLeague champs Fenerbahce overcame Panathinaikos. Both these former champions are doing well this season and will have an eye on the Final Four. However, Fener edged this contest thanks to a comeback rally in the fourth. The hosts trailed 47-50 through thirty minutes, but put together 20-12 Q4 to secure the win. Victory moves Fenerbahce to 12-6 alongside Real Madrid and Panathinaikos in joint third.
Real Madrid vs. Baskonia Vitoria, 75-73
Real Madrid continued its resurgence up the standings with a hard-fought win over always dangerous Baskonia. Los Blancos, still recovering from an uncharacteristic blip in November (five losses from six), is now back at 12-6 in third and within striking distance of Olympiacos and CSKA. As for Baskonia, the team continues to be plagued by inconsistency and now sits at 8-10 in mid-table. As the score suggests, this game went to the wire, with Real Madrid edging the contest right at the buzzer to secure the win.
Milan vs. Unicaja Malaga, 101-87
Milan can do offensive hoops well, but it does not always work out in defence. On Wednesday, the Italian Serie A champs clicked at both ends to see off fellow struggler and EuroCup holder Malaga. This win brought Milan to a lowly 5-13, enough to move off the bottom of the standings. Malaga enjoyed a mini recovery in early December but is now sliding again. The Spanish team falls to 7-11 on this loss. After a 31-22 first quarter, Milan had control and settled it with an impressive 51-point haul in the second half.