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Baskonia wins thriller against CSKA In a Game of the Week thriller that went down the wire, Baskonia Vitoria Gasteiz edged CSKA Moscow 79-78 on its home floor in the last game of Round 26. The win improved Baskonia’s record to 15-11 and the fifth-best in the league, while CSKA dropped to 19-7, but still shares the best record in the competition with Real Madrid. Neither team held a lead bigger than 8 points the entire night and it was Baskonia that was ahead 45-37 early in the third quarter. CSKA quickly caught up, but the hosts remained in front the entire time until James Augustine’s layup with 40.9 seconds to go, which gave CSKA a 77-78 lead. But Shane Larkin hit what turned out to be a game-winning jumper, and the hosts managed to force a turnover before running out the clock. Adam Hanga had 15 points and 4 blocks to lead Baskonia, Larkin finished with 12 points, Kim Tillie scored 11 ,while Chase Budinger and Johannes Voigtmann scored 10 apiece, with the latter also pulling down 7 rebounds. Nando De Colo had 22 points and 6 assists, and Milos Teodosic had 19 points and 6 assists in defeat. Both teams needed some time to get into an offensive rhythm. Voigtmann had a jumper and a floater for the hosts, but a triple and a floater from Teodosic gave CSKA a 10-12 lead. Teodosic banked in another shot, but Tillie and Ilimane Diop each had a dunk to give Baskonia an 18-14 edge after low-scoring 10 minutes. Back-to-back triples from Andrey Vorontsevich and Vitaly Fridzon to start the second quarter put CSKA back in front, but Larkin and Tillie replied with a 6-0 run to restore Baskonia's advantage. It was time for a CSKA run, with De Colo hitting a three-pointer and driving for a layup in a 0-7 run, only for Hanga to score twice before Voigtmann slammed one home as the hosts scored the final 6 points of the half and took a 34-33 halftime lead. Baskonia missed all of its 6 three-point attempts in the first half, but at the start of the third quarter, Larkin and Hanga each hit a three, and Tillie had a three-point play as the hosts opened a 45-37 lead. But after a timeout, Teodosic answered with a pair of threes, and a pair of baskets from De Colo helped CSKA climb within 51-50. But Blazic and Shengelia each scored from long range late in the quarter for Baskonia to take a 61-54 advantage into the final 10 minutes. De Colo and Hines led CSKA in catching up, and a triple from Victor Khrypa cut it to 67-66. A pair of tough drives down the stretch, one from Hanga and the other from Larkin, gave Baskonia some breathing room, and Chase Budinger had a huge slam dunk. But Teodosic hit back-to-back three-pointers before dishing a bounce pass for a layup by James Augustine that put CSKA back in front 77-78 with 40.9 seconds left. After a timeout, Larkin nailed a long jumper as Baskonia regained the lead. CSKA went down the court, De Colo missed a long jumper, but CSKA grabbed an offensive rebound. However, Baskonia forced Augustine into a bad pass and the hosts ran out the final 12 seconds off the clock, starting wild celebrations at Fernando Buesa Arena.

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Darussafaka blasts Barcelona to remain firmly in playoff hunt Darussafaka Dogus Istanbul used a mighty second quarter and held on the rest of the way to defeat FC Barcelona Lassa 67-56 on Friday at Volkswagen Arena. After a slow start, the hosts dominated the second quarter 32-9 to take a 21-point halftime lead. Barcelona rallied in the second half to within 7, but Darussafaka held on to improve to 13-13, which is one win behind eighth place. Barcelona fell to 10-16. Will Clyburn scored 10 of his team-high 15 points in the second quarter to lead the Darussafaka resurgence. Scottie Wilbekin added 11 points and 5 assists, Ante Zizic tallied 10 points and 13 rebounds and Birkan Batuk produced 8 points and 8 rebounds to help the home side outrebound Barcelona 41-31. Stratos Perperoglou scored 9 in the third quarter to help Barcelona come back and finished with 16 and Ante Tomic added 8 points and 9 rebounds in defeat. Barcelona’s 56 points scored was its fourth-lowest in the EuroLeague in club history. Adrien Moermann opened the scoring for the hosts with a reverse layup before Tyrese Rice and Perperoglou put Barcelona ahead with back-to-back three-pointers. Ante Tomic capped a three-chance Barcelona possession with a bucket that made it 4-11 and prompted a Darussafaka timeout. James Anderson stepped up with a pair of three-pointers to bring the hosts within 11-13 after 10 minutes. Zizic dunked to tie the score and Clyburn scored three times on as many possessions to give Darussafaka a 19-15 lead. The hosts continued to roll with a Batuk three capping a 17-2 run. Wilbekin added a three to establish a double-digit advantage, 27-17, and Clyburn remained hot as the margin continued to grow. Luke Harangody scored 5 quick points to take the margin to 39-19. After a timeout, Marcus Eriksson tried to revive the visitors with a three-pointer, but a Harangody jumper made it 43-22 at the break. Perperoglou hit a jumper to start the second half and Victor Claver added a steal and free throws as Barcelona held Darussafaka scoreless for three and a half minutes. Zizic’s basket-plus-foul got the hosts back on track. However Brad Oleson nailed a three and Rice drove for a layup to trim the deficit to 46-32, at which point Darussafaka called timeout. Despite a Clyburn triple, Barcelona cut the gap even further with Perperoglou sinking a pair of layups and then a three-pointer making it 51-42. A jumper by Wilbekin made it 53-42 at the end of the third quarter, but Barcelona continued to frustrate the home team’s defense and an Alex Renfroe three drew the visitors within 54-47. Batuk came alive with a pair of second-chance buckets, a key defensive rebound and a free throw to put the hosts up 12. Tomic and Rice again made it a 7-point game, but Clyburn and Zizic rescued Darussafaka. Perperoglou continued to produce for the visitors, but they were unable to get any closer and Darussafaka held on to win.

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Jankunas, Westermann led Zalgiris to road win in Kazan Zalgiris Kaunas stayed in the hunt for the EuroLeague Playoffs by downing host Unics Kazan 80-82 at Basket Hall Kazan on Friday. Zalgiris improved to 12-14 and is two wins behind eighth-place Anadolu Efes Istanbul. Already-eliminated Unics dropped to 7-19 and suffered its ninth consecutive regular season loss. Paulius Jankunas led the winners with 21 points. Leo Westermann added 12 while Antanas Kavaliauskas, Brock Motum and Lukas Lekavicius each had 10 for Zalgiris. A recovered Keith Langford led Unics with 27 points and surpassed the previous record for points in a single EuroLeague season. He now has 539 points this season, 14 more than the previous record of 525 set by Nando De Colo of CSKA Moscow last season. Art Parakhouski added 15 points, Quino Colom had 14 and 9 assists while Latavious Williams got 12 points for Unics. As many as five Unics players scored 6 points or more in the first half, as Unics limited turnovers to just 4 and pulled down 6 offensive rebounds to get a 43-42 lead. Small details made the difference in this game: Unics entered the final minute with a 77-76 lead but Westermann buried a go-ahead three-pointer, Langford missed at the other end, Zalgiris drew a couple of non-shooting fouls before Jankunas made free throws that let the guests celebrate a crucial victory. Langford got Unics going with a three-pointer and a mid-range jumper. Parakhouski scored twice in the paint to give the hosts a 9-4 lead. Augusto Lima stepped up with a dunk and an inside basket, but Parakhouski and Langford kept Unics fully in charge at 15-9. The visitors found a go-to guy in Motum, who scored 7 points in a 2-13 run that Edgaras Ulanovas capped with free throws for a 19-22 Zalgiris lead. Williams took over with consecutive dunks but a layup by Kavaliauskas helped Zalgiris regain a 23-24 lead after 10 minutes. A running layup by Lekavicius and free throws by Jankunas kept Zalgiris ahead, 28-30. Evgeny Voronov and Colom fueled a 7-0 run that gave Unics a 35-30 margin. Jankunas followed free throws with a dunk in a 0-6 Zalgiris run but Marko Banic and Williams helped Unics regain a five-point lead, 43-38. Free throws by Arturas Milaknis and a driving layup by Paulius Valinskas drew Zalgiris within 43-42 at halftime. Jankunas hit from beyond the arc and Westermann added a layup off a steal for a 43-47 Zalgiris lead after the break. Langford and Parakhouski rescued Unics and a jumper by Williams put the hosts back ahead, 53-52. Jankunas and Renaldas Seibutis fueled a 0-6 Zalgiris run but a driving layup by Langford kept Unics within 57-58. Kavaliauskas stepped up with a three-point play and Jankunas added a layup, helping Zalgiris extend its margin to 60-64 after 30 minutes. Parakhouski dunked and Colom struck from downtown but Motum and an unstoppable Westermann made the hosts call timeout at 65-71. Lekavicius hit a three but Williams, Colom and Langford combined for all the points in a 10-0 run that put Unics in charge, 75-74. Lekavicius hit a jumper and Westermann bettered Langford's free throws with a bomb from downtown for a 77-79 Zalgiris lead with 53.5 seconds left. Free throws by Jankunas sealed the outcome down the stretch. In Round 26, Zalgiris hosts Efes is a critical game for both teams on Tuesday. Unics visits Galatasaray Odeabank Istanbul on Wednesday.

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Zvezda rules early and late to win in Milan Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade kept pace with its closest playoff competitors by finishing strong for a 71-78 victory on the road Thursday against already-eliminated EA7 Emporio Armani Milan. Zvezda improved to 15-11 with four games left to play to stay tied on victories with Panathinaikos Superfoods Athens, which won earlier. Milan fell to 7-19. In a game that sometimes seemed like it was being played in Belgrade, a contingent of Zvezda fans could be heard that far away as their team raced to an 18-point lead, 17-35, after 13 minutes. Milan woke up and slowly but surely reeled it all the way back to a 60-60 tie before Ognjen Kuzmic scored 11 points in a row for his team to pull away again to victory. Kuzmic finished with 15 points to lead the winners, while Marko Simonovic had 13, Marko Guduric 12 and Charles Jenkins 11. Ricky Hickman led Milan with 14 and Rakim Sanders with 12, while Davide Pascolo came off the bench to lead the comeback with 11 points, 7 rebounds and 3 blocks. Branko Lazic opened the scoring with a corner triple for the guests before Sanders sliced to the rim for Milan's first points. Jenkins took over from there against his team from a year ago, draining a triple and a pair of shorter jump shots as Zvezda zoomed ahead 4-10. Guduric stepped in and blasted a layup and Lazic's free throws made it a quick double-digit difference, 4-14. Simonovic said hello with layup, as did Pascolo going back-door for Milan. Nemanja Dangubic from downtown and Milko Bjelica inside kept Zvezda's lead ticking up to 10-25 after 10 minutes. Great ball movement set up Simonovic for a corner triple to open the second quarter, and he didn't stop there. His two-pointer and another triple saw the lead spike to 15-33. Zvezda was scoring with ease, but Milan found a spark in Pascolo, who added 5 more points in opportunistic fashion. Sanders joined him and dunked to cut the difference to 28-37. Guduric and Kuzmic found layups for Zvezda before Sanders struck from deep as the visitors held onto a 31-43 lead at halftime. Miroslav Raduljica joined the Milan scoring after the break but Guduric bettered him from deep. Milan Macvan and Awudu Abass joined the fun for Milan, lowering the deficit to 37-46. Nate Wolters stuck a triple and waltzed for a fastbreak layup with Hickman's sixth turnover. But a baseline jumper by Abass and free throws by Raduljica kept Milan within 10 points, 41-51. Macvan lowered it further with a pair of baskets at 45-51. Wolters answered from deep but free throws from Andrea Cinciarini kept it close, 48-54. Simonovic turned a miss free throw into a three-pointer for Bjelica, who then matched McLean with 2 free throws for a 50-60 score after three quarters. Pascolo's hustling rebound and scoop shot opened the fourth quarter and, after Hickman's free throws, he downed a reverse to make it 56-60. Pascolo next fed Cinciarini for a layup that forced a Zvezda timeout. Milan had several tries before Hickman finally tied it up, 60-60, on a fastbreak layup, completing the hosts' long 18-point comeback. Taking advantage of Milan's short lineup, Kuzmic responded with a three-point play, free throws and a layup that restored Zvezda's lead at 62-68. Hickman revived Milan's hopes with a corner triple, but Kuzmic kept dominating with 3 more points and then Lazic joined him with free throws at 65-73. After a timeout, Simonovic buried a triple that made it 65-76 and left no doubt that the victory was going back to Belgrade.

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Dixon, Datome lead Fenerbahce to big road win Fenerbahce Istanbul took another step forwards by downing Brose Bamberg 78-83 in Freak City on Thursday. Fenerbahce improved to 17-9 and will clinch a spot in the playoffs if FC Barcelona Lassa defeats Darussafaka Dogus Istanbul on Friday. Bamberg dropped to 9-17 and was mathematically eliminated from playoff contention. Bobby Dixon led the winners with a career-high 26 points, while Luigi Datome added 16, all in the second half, and Ekpe Udoh posted 12 points and 4 blocked shots for Fenerbahce. Fabien Causeur and Nikos Zisis led Bamberg with 15 points apiece and Darius Miller added 14 for the hosts. Zisis climbed to third place on career EuroLeague games played with 279, going past EuroLeague legend Dimitris Diamantidis. Bamberg committed only 6 turnovers and held Fenerbahce to only 2 offensive rebounds, but shooting percentages made the difference in this game. Fenerbahce shot the ball really well inside (60.7%) and outside the arc (43.5%), while limiting Bamberg to low percentages (42.5% 2FG, 34.8% 3FG). Fenerbahce held Nicolo Melli scoreless for the first time in 49 career games with Bamberg. It took Jan Vesely just 6 seconds to get Fenerbahce going with a dunk. Nikola Kalinic and Dixon each struck from downtown for a 3-8 lead. Udoh sank a jumper and Dixon took over with a four-point play to boost the lead to 5-14. Zisis and Causeur stepped up for Bamberg, but an unstoppable Kalinic and a put-back dunk by Udoh kept Fenerbahce fully in charge, 12-20. Patrick Heckmann and Leon Radosevic made free throws and Jerel McNeal added a driving layup, but a huge buzzer-beating triple by Dixon restored a 21-27 Fenerbahce lead after 10 minutes. Daniel Theis hit foul shots and Miller added a catch-and-shoot triple that kept Bamberg within 26-31. Dixon hit a floater and James Nunnally struck from downtown to make it a double-digit game, 26-36. McNeal and Zisis combined for all the points in a 7-0 run that got Bamberg within 35-38. Theis ignited the crowd with a three-point play, but free throws by Udoh and a floater by Melih Mahmutoglou fixed the halftime score at 38-42. Dixon kept pacing Fenerbahce with a three-point play and Udoh hit a couple of jumpers in a 0-15 run that Datome capped with free throws to break the game open at 38-55. Bamberg was held scoreless for five minutes until Miller followed a jumper with a three-pointer, but an outstanding Datome struck twice from beyond the arc for a 45-63 score. Vladimir Veremeenko stepped up for the hosts and back-to-back triples by Theis and Maodo Lo got Bamberg a bit closer, 56-68, after 30 minutes. A power layup by Veremeenko and consecutive baskets by Causeur brought Bamberg within single digits, 62-68. Dixon and Datome combined for all the points in a 0-8 run that seemed to seal the outcome, 62-76. Causeur nailed consecutive three-pointers in a 9-0 run that kept Bamberg within 71-76 with over two minutes to go. Three-pointers by Dixon and Mahmutoglou sealed the outcome at 75-82 already in the final minute.

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Panathinaikos fends off Madrid In a battle of EuroLeague titans, Panathinaikos Superfood Athens got back to its winning ways, pulling out an 88-82 win over Real Madrid in the Greek capital on Thursday night. Panathinaikos moved its record to 15-11 and improved its chances of qualifying for the playoffs, while Madrid dropped to 19-7 and missed its first chance to lock up home-court advantage in the playoffs. The teams traded baskets often and neither team held a lead bigger than 7 points until the final minute of the game. The Greens were ahead most of the night, but Madrid used an efficient start to the fourth quarter to take a 64-66 edge. That is when Chris Singleton and Mike James stepped up and restored the lead that the hosts held on to in the final minute. Singleton finished with 21 points and 9 rebounds to lead the hosts, Mike James and James Feldeine netted 14 apiece, K.C. Rivers scored 1 and in his return from injury, James Gist scored 11 points in victory. Anthony Randolph was Madrid’s top scorer with 13 points and he pulled down 9 boards, Gustavo Ayon scored 12, while Luka Doncic, Othello Hunter and Sergio Llull scored 10 apiece in defeat. Panathinaikos got an early advantage with a three from Singleton and a three-point play by Gist. An alley-oop dunk by Gist opened an early 10-5 lead. After Llull nailed a jumper and a three-pointer to make it 13-14, Nick Calathes replied with a three of his own, and a three-point play by Singleton made it 14. Madrid played a lot of zone defense and did not allow the hosts to get into a rhythm. A floater by Calathes made it 21-19 after 10 minutes, and James hit a triple to push the margin to 26-19 early in the second. Madrid answered with a 0-7 run that included a three from Rudy Fernandez. A wide-open three from Jaycee Carroll gave Madrid a 33-35 edge, but Rivers had a three-pointer and a three-point play on back-to-back possession to restore the lead for the Greens, who went into halftime up 43-41. After the break, Rivers scored twice and Feldeine had a pair of baskets, including a steal that led to a fastbreak dunk and a 53-48 lead. Threes from Doncic and Randolph put Madrid back in front as the visitor took a 55-58 lead before Feldeine hit a triple at the buzzer to tie the game going into the final 10 minutes. The teams traded blows early in the fourth, and an alley-oop dunk from Hunter gave Madrid a 64-66 edge. But Nikos Pappas scored on a fast break, Singleton nailed a three-pointer and James scored a driving layup to give the Greens a 75-69 advantage . A triple from Fernandez got the visitors within 77-74, but James hit a three-pointer with 63 seconds remaining, and Singleton broke free for a dunk with 45 seconds left, making it 82-76 before him and Ioannis Bourousis sealed the deal from the free throw line.

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Anadolu Efes wins, ends Maccabi's playoff hopes Anadolu Efes Istanbul boosted its own playoff hopes while ending those of Maccabi FOX Tel Aviv with a 92-87 victory at Abdi Ipekci Arena. Efes completed the season sweep of Maccabi as it improved to 14-12, while dropping Maccabi to 9-17. Jayson Granger starred for Efes with 22 points, 15 of which came in the third quarter as the hosts turned a 41-42 halftime deficit into a double-digit lead. His backcourt mate Thomas Heurtel tallied 18 points and 8 assists, Bryant Dunston posted 13 points and 12 rebounds and Derrick Brown added 12 points. Victor Rudd paced Maccabi with a career-best 23 points, Sylven Landesberg netted a season-high 20, Devin Smith scored 10 and point guards Yogev Ohayon and Gal Mekel each delivered 8 assists in defeat. Mekel and Landesberg fueled a late surge to bring the visitors within 3 in the closing seconds, but Granger’s layup iced the Efes victory. Maccabi got the start it wanted with the first two baskets of the game, but Efes bounced back and took its first lead, 7-6, on Dunston’s basket-plus-foul. Rudd was in top form for Maccabi despite a pair of early fouls and his three-pointer put the visitors up 11-15. Alex Kirk made an impact with a rejection and slam before DeShaun Thomas tied the game at 17-17 at the end of the quarter. The lead changed hands in an exciting and physical start to the second quarter before Landesberg buried a three to put Maccabi ahead 22-26. The margin twice grew to 27-35 on an Ohayon-to-Colton Iverson alley-oop, but Cedi Osman carried Efes back and Brown completed the comeback with a tip-in that made it 39-38. Joe Alexander beat the halftime buzzer to give Maccabi a 41-42 halftime edge. Brown connected on Efes’s first three-pointer of the game to open the second half. Brown turned a block at one end into a slam at the other and Dunston also dunked as the Efes lead grew to 52-45 before Maccabi called timeout. The visitors responded with 5 quick points to get back in the game. Granger took over with a jumper, a three, a steal and a layup and another three as Efes soared to 62-52. Landesberg became the scorer of choice for Maccabi, but another Granger three made it a 12-point game and the hosts led 67-57 through three quarters. Maccab refused to go away and Rudd’s jumper closed the gap to 6, but Heurtel soon boosted the margin back to double figures. Thomas stepped up with 4 straight points and drawing an offensive foul as Efes consolidated its grip on the game. Mekel nailed a three to get Maccabi within 84-78 with 1:35 remaining and Landesberg scored 6 late points to give Maccabi hope, but a late Granger layup sealed the victory.

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Barcelona's Doellman out four weeks FC Barcelona Lassa is still going through an ordeal regarding injuries. The lastest one was announced by the club on Monday as Justin Doellman is expected to be out for four weeks due to a muscle injury on his right leg. Doellman suffered the injury during the practice session with the team on Monday. Doellman (2.06 meters, 32 years old) has started in 14 of his 15 appearances with Barca this season, averaging 7.8 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.2 assists. Doellman is expected to be back by mid-April, but he will miss some crucial EuroLeague games that will be decisive for the future of his team this season.

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Player Profile - Nando De Colo (CSKA Moscow)

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Regular Season - Round 25

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... for all BBall fans ... check out The Euroleague Basketball updates ... Follow ... euroleague-basketball on tumblr.

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2017 ... Round 25 ... Top 10 Plays

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Olympiacos Piraeus / Darussafaka Dogus Istanbul Highlights

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Real Madrid / Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade Highlights

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Olympiacos holds off Darussafaka, punches playoff ticket Olympiacos Piraeus secured its playoff berth by holding off visiting Darussafaka Dogus Istanbul 81-73 at Peace and Friendship Stadium on Friday night. Olympiacos improved to 18-7 to remain in third place in the standings, while Darussafaka dropped to 12-13 and stays in ninth place. The Reds dominated for 25 minutes, making 18 of their first 22 two-point shots and held a 60-39 advantage. But the visitors rallied behind Bradley Wanamaker and with help of Will Clyburn and James Anderson. Darussafaka cut the lead to 4 points midway through the fourth quarter, but Vassilis Spanoulis took over, scored a pair of key baskets and grabbed or saved some loose balls down the stretch to secure the victory for Olympiacos. Khem Birch collected 13 points and 8 rebounds and 2 blocks for the Reds, Matt Lojeski scored 12 points, Erick Green had 11 and Spanoulis returned from injury with 8 points and 8 assists in 23 minutes. Wanamaker shined with 23 points and 6 assists for Darussafaka, Clyburn added 20 points and 7 rebounds and Anderson scored 12 points in defeat. After the teams traded blows early on, Green’s run of 9 points and a pair of baskets from Lojeski, including a buzzer-beating jumper at the end of first quarter, gave Olympiacos a 25-18 lead. The hosts kept pulling away, as Lojeski’s triple capped a 15-2 run and opened a 34-20 lead. Clyburn stopped the bleeding and Wanamaker, Anderson and Adrien Moerman made basket for the visitors, but Spanoulis orchestrated the Olympiacos offense, finding Birch inside and Dominic Waters outside. Patric Young, also returning from injury, scored a couple times inside, and Vangelis Mantzaris hit one from the outside to help Olympiacos go into halftime up 48-33. Spanuolis hit a three-pointer early in the third, then three consecutive dunks, one by Birch and a fastbreak slam by Kostas Papanikolaou helped open a 60-39 margin. However, Wanamaker had a three-point play, Moerman knocked down a three-pointer and Clyburn’s fastbreak slam cut it to 66-56. The Reds entered the final quarter by 11 points, but Darussafaka’s small lineup with Moerman, Clyburn and Anderson kept troubling Olympiacos. Anderson’s baskets cut the deficit to 71-67 with 5:55 to go in the game. Darussafaka was still within 75-71 a couple minutes later, but Lojeski scored a lucky put-back, before Spanoulis drove to bank it on from close range and make it 79-71, a lead the hosts kept safe until the final buzzer.

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Madrid uses huge first half to down Zvezda Real Madrid sealed its place in the 2016-17 EuroLeague playoffs by thrashing Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade 98-68 in the Spanish capital on Friday. Madrid improved to 19-6 and joined CSKA Moscow and Olympiacos Piraeus in the next round. Zvezda dropped to 14-11. Jonas Maciulis, Jeffery Taylor and Gustavo Ayon led the winners with 12 points apiece. Sergio Llull, Anthony Randolph and Othello Hunter each scored 11 and Luka Doncic had 10 for Madrid. Llull added 10 assists for a double-double. Marko Simonovic led Zvezda with 13 points and Charles Jenkins added 10 for the visitors. Felipe Reyes climbed into the second spot on the all-time list of games played with 279, overcoming EuroLeague legend Dimitris Diamantidis. Madrid had a near-perfect first quarter, hitting 7 of 7 two-point shots, 6 of 8 three-pointers and 6 of 6 free throws to get a 38-24 margin. Madrid boosted its margin to 63-44 at halftime and kept full control of the game until the final buzzer. Back-to-back dunks by Nemanja Dangubic gave Zvezda an early 2-4 lead. Maciulis stepped up with a couple of three-pointers and Randolph followed Ayon's dunk with a triple for a 15-10 Madrid edge. Dangubic hit free throws, Jenkins added a driving layup and a close basket by Ognjen Kuzmic kept Zvezda within 19-16. Randolph and Maciulis struck again from downtown, Taylor followed a tip-in with free throws and an unstoppable Llull had 7 unanswered points and sent a between-the-leg assist to Ayon, whose dunk fixed the score at 38-24 after 10 minutes. Trey Thompkins followed consecutive layups with a triple to break the game open at 45-30 early in the second quarter. Hunter took over with a three-point play, Carroll added a floater and Rudy Fernandez nailed one from beyond the arc for a 53-34 lead. Jenkins and Deon Thompson tried to change things for Zvezda, but a dunk by Thompson, a big basket by Doncic and an unstoppable Carroll kept Madrid comfortably ahead, 63-44, at halftime. Maciulis buried a three-pointer right after the break and Taylor soon made it 69-46. Jenkins scored in penetration and Simonovic added a running layup, but an unstoppable Ayon and Randolph restored a 76-54 Madrid margin. Llull dished his 10th assist to Hunter, but Milko Bjelica did better with a three-point play. A driving layup by Llull boosted the hosts' lead to 80-57 after 30 minutes. Zvezda was held scoreless for four minutes, while Hunter followed free throws with a big slam and Thompkins sealed the outcome. Zvezda did not give up, but the Madrid fans had plenty of time to celebrate a go-ahead win.

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Dominant Bamberg keeps its season alive Brose Bamberg kept its slim playoff hopes alive – and also helped out a few other teams – by routing Anadolu Efes Istanbul 68-87 at Abdi Ipekci Arena. The victory took Bamberg’s record to 9-16, while Efes dropped to 13-12. The visitors took control in the second quarter and never let go, leading by double figures for all but one minute in the second half. Big man Leon Radosevic shined with 16 points, while Nicolo Melli combined 16 points with 6 rebounds and 5 assists. Maodo Lo added 15 points, including 3 of 4 three-point shooting, and Darius Miller scored 14 and grabbed 6 rebounds. Cedi Osman paced Efes with 15 points – 10 of them in the first quarter – while Derrick Brown added 13 and Thomas Heurtel and Brandon Paul both netted 11. Bamberg’s dominance showed up in the stats sheet, winning the defensive rebounding battle 37 to 17, and delivering 22 assists compared to 13 from Efes. Bamberg made a strong start as Radosevic scored the game’s first 4 points, before Brown responded with 5 to tie the game. The lead swapped hands regularly until Efes established a solid advantage near the end of the first quarter thanks to 10 consecutive points from Osman, with Brown’s free throws making it 23-17. But Bamberg made a spectacular start to the second, launching a 0-16 run including triples by Fabien Causeur and Miller, and 4 more points for Radosevic. A three-pointer from DeShaun Thomas ended Efes’s drought, but the visitors kept on hitting shots, with Lo scoring 5 in a 0-7 run to end the half leading 32-42. Bamberg also scored the first 4 points of the second half and protected its lead as Radosevic continued to shine. A triple from Patrick Heckmann capped a 0-12 run, which helped secure a 19-point lead at the end of the third, and although Efes briefly rallied midway the fourth quarter, the deficit was too large to surmount and Bamberg cruised home.