Zalgiris Kaunas never trailed in taking care of Panathinaikos OPAP Athens 93-78 on Thursday night at Zalgirio Arena.

Zalgiris finishes season with home win

Zalgiris Kaunas never trailed in taking care of Panathinaikos OPAP Athens 93-78 on Thursday night at Zalgirio Arena. A 14-0 run early in the second half helped the Lithuanian champs pull away for good and the lead reached 24 in the fourth quarter as Zalgiris cruised to victory. The result gave Zalgiris a 17-17 record at the end of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season. Panathinaikos dropped to 11-21 and still has two games remaining. Lukas Lekavicius paced the Zalgiris scorers with 20 points on 3-of-5 three-point shooting, Thomas Walkup tallied 18 points and 5 assists and Rokas Jokubaitis added 10 points. Nemanja Nedovic scored 17 points and Ben Bentil 13 for Panathinaikos in defeat. 

Marius Grigonis came out firing with the game's first 5 points before Nedovic opened the scoring with a three for the Greens. Georgios Papagiannis's alley-oop slam tied it at 7-7. The hosts reeled off the next 12 points to take a commanding lead. Dinos Mitoglou ended a 4-minute Panathinaikos drought with a dunk, but a triple by Patricio Garino kept the hosts cruising. Garino remained hot with 5 more points to make it 27-14 after 10 minutes. The lead reached 15 early in the second quarter before Mario Hezonja stepped up with back-to-back threes to narrow the gap. A Zalgiris timeout did little to cool the visitors; Nedovic drained a triple and fed Hezonja for a fastbreak slam in a 0-10 charge that made it 33-30. Lekavicius revived the hosts with a pair of triples and a shot in the lane to raise the difference to 41-33 midway through the second quarter. Ioannis Papapetrou and Mitouglou helped get Panathinaikos within 52-47 at the break. 

Catch up on Zalgiris Kaunas vs Panathinaikos OPAP Athens from Round 34 of the 2020/21 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season, April 8 2021

Zalgiris Kaunas vs Panathinaikos OPAP Athens Highlights - Round 34 - April 8, 2021

A jumper by Mitoglou got the Greens within one possession at the start of the second half, but back-to-back threes by Karolis Lukosiunas triggered a 14-0 Zalgiris run as the hosts pulled away again. A three by Eleftherios Bochoridis change little for Panathinaikos. A layup by Marek Blazevic made it 71-52 midway through the three quarter. Nedovic helped rally the Greens to 74-60 through three quarters. A three by Nedovic gave the Greens hope at the start of the fourth quarter, but baskets by Walkup and Geben kept Zalgiris in total control. A pair of threes by Jokubaitis took the margin into the 20s. Lekavicius also hit from downtown to make it 88-64 with 5 minutes to play. Panathinaikos battled to reduce the deficit in the remaining minutes, but the outcome was already clear and Zalgiris finished its season on a winning note. 

### Telling numbers

The two teams were very close in many team stats, but the two-point accuracy told a lot of the story. After making its first 8 two-pointers of the game, Zalgiris finished at 61.1% (22 of 36). Panathinaikos made just 13 of 31 twos (41.9%). Considering that both teams made 13 threes and Panathinaikos committed just 1 more turnover (16) than Zalgiris, that two-point accuracy was all the difference.
### One more year for Jankunas?

The immortal Paulius Jankunas will turn 37 years of age later this month and there had been some local speculation about whether this would be the final EuroLeague game for the competition's career rebounding king. In the post-game interview, he was asked if it was his last EuroLeague game or not. After providing 7 points, 7 rebounds and 3 assists to aid Zalgiris, he hinted that he is not done yet by replying: "I don't know. I guess not."
### A EuroLeague debut

With 2:09 remaining, 18-year-old Mantas Rubstavicius came on for Zalgiris to make his EuroLeague debut. The first time he got the ball, Rubstavicius drew a foul from Zach Auguste with 25.1 seconds remaining and the Zalgiris bench erupted in joy as he calmly sank both shots for his first EuroLeague points.
### What's next?

Panathinaikos will conclude its EuroLeague season next week with a pair of road games in Russia. The Greens visit Zenit St Petersburg on Monday, April 12 in a makeup game from Round 6 and then they head to Moscow to meet CSKA on Wednesday. Zalgiris's EuroLeague campaign has concluded and it will move its focus to domestic competition. 

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Zalgiris Kaunas never trailed in taking care of Panathinaikos OPAP Athens 93-78 on Thursday night at Zalgirio Arena.


Zalgiris Kaunas v Panathinaikos OPAP Athens (2021-04-08T17:00:00.000Z)

Zenit St Petersburg strengthened its playoff chances by running away from LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne to an 87-53 home win on Friday.

Zenit rocks ASVEL to boost playoff chances

 Zenit St Petersburg strengthened its playoff chances by running away from LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne to an 87-53 home win on Friday. Zenit improved to 18-14 and moved into eighth place, tied on victories with ninth-placed TD Systems Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz (18-15). ASVEL's record fell to 12-20. A 15-2 blast after halftime leading to a 25-6 third-quarter difference was decisive as Zenit amassed a 20-point lead that continued climbing to the finish. Billy Baron and Austin Hollins took turns scorching the nets to lead the winners with 15 points each. Arturas Gudaitis added 13 points while Kevin Pangos combined 10 with 8 assists. Only David Lighty, with 12 points, was able to get into double figures for ASVEL, which was tied at 35-35 a minute before halftime but was outscored 52-18 by Zenit after that. 

Mateusz Ponitka hit a triple, Tarik Black a layup and Will Thomas a jumper to give Zenit a 9-2 advantage before Moustapha Fall scored ASVEL's first field goal on a put-back. Charles Kahudi followed with a triple for the visitors, but Pangos and Black connected for a third pick-and-roll layup and Thomas hit a turnaround as the lead climbed to 16-9. Gudaitis and Ismael Bako traded dunks as Zenit led 20-15 after 10 minutes. K.C. Rivers bested Bako's next dunk with a three-point play to open the second quarter. Gudaitis soon scored inside for a 25-17 lead, but ASVEL's Derrick Walton answered with a four-point play. William Howard then copied him with a combination of 2 free throws around a put-back to suddenly tie it up, 25-25. Howard answered free throws by Gudiaitis with a layup at 28-27. Lighty gave ASVEL its first lead with free throws at 28-29, then the scoreboard flipped from one team to the other until Baron nailed his first triple for Zenit at 35-31. Howard and Norris Cole answered, however, for a 35-35 tie. Baron opened the final minute of the second quarter with free throws then converted a triple into a four-point play to boost Zenit in front 41-37 at the half. 

Catch up on Zenit St Petersburg vs LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne from Round 33 of the 2020/21 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season, April 2 2021

Zenit St Petersburg vs LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne Highlights - Round 33 - April 2, 2021

Pangos fed Black for a dunk to start the second half and Baron kept it going from deep. When Ponitka scored free throws on an unsportsmanlike foul, Zenit had a double-digit lead at 48-37. Lighty and Pangos traded jumpers before Baron struck again from the arc to make it 53-39. Ponitka's block sent Thomas ahead for a transition triple as Zenit's opening run reached 15-2 and the lead hit 56-39. Pangos blasted a second-chance triple as the difference soared to 61-41. Gudaitis kept it going to a commanding 66-43 advantage after 30 minutes. Alex Poythress stole and finished for a new high lead of 72-47 early in the fourth quarter. By the time Hollins erupted for 2 triples and a dunk in his own personal 8-0 run, the score was 80-49 and Zenit could think ahead with confidence to its remaining chores in the ongoing playoff race. 

### Pivotal performer

Among many candidates on Zenit, sharpshooter Billy Baron scored 15 points in less than 5 minutes bridging the second and third quarters to turn a close game decisively in the host’s favor. He finished with that same total in less than 13 minutes played and with just 2 missed shots for a PIR of 14 on the night.
### Turning point

It was 35-35 entering the final minute of the second quarter when Baron hit free throws and converted a four-point play for a 41-37 halftime lead. He came back after the break to hit 2 three-pointers in a 15-2 run to open the third quarter for a 56-39 lead that broke the game open for good.
### Hollins shuts the door

If ASVEL had any thoughts of a comeback, Austin Hollins was ready to take the scoring relay from Baron in the fourth quarter. He had a personal 8-0 started by a spectacular save for 13 points in a span of 6 minutes that resulted in the no-doubt-about-it 34-point victory, the biggest in Zenit's two seasons in the EuroLeague.
### Stellar stat

Zenit's non-stop defense held ASVEL to a club low 2 of 12 three-pointers on the night. Baron and Hollins, with 4 and 3 triples respectively, each made more shots from the arc than ASVEL as a team.
### Next games

Zenit continues knocking on the playoffs door when it hosts Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv in a week's time in Round 34, the last game for most teams, but not for Zenit, which still has a rescheduled Round 6 game left to be played against Panathinaikos OPAP Athens on April 12. ASVEL also plays a rescheduled game from Round 30 on Sunday in Tel Aviv against Maccabi before returning to Russia to close its season against CSKA Moscow next Thursday.

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Zenit St Petersburg v LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne (2021-04-02T17:00:00.000Z)

FC Barcelona locked up first place with a hard-fought 73-82 victory at Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul. 

Barcelona locks up first place with win at Fenerbahce

FC Barcelona locked up first place with a hard-fought 73-82 victory at Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul. Kyle Kuric led the way with 16 points for Barcelona, which used a 5-20 run over 7 minutes spanning the third and fourth quarters to gain control of the game. Brandon Davies collected 13 points and 9 rebounds and Nikola Mirotic chipped in 12 points and 6 boards in helping Barcelona improve to 24-9 and bounce back from its overtime loss at Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv. Fenerbahce dropped an important game in the fight for home court advantage in the playoffs in falling to 20-13. Marko Guduric paced Fenerbahce with 19 points with Kyle O’Quinn adding 17 points, Nando De Colo scoring 12 points with 6 assists and Dyshawn Pierre pitching in 10 points. 

Barcelona scored five points on an Alex Abrines dunk and a Mirotic triple before Fenerbahce even took a shot. Melih Mahmutoglu hit a three-pointer to get the hosts on the board and Guduric followed with two three-point plays, with O’Quinn adding four points in a 9-2 spurt as Fenerbahce went ahead 20-13. Davies stopped the drought and Kuric drained three three-pointers in a 0-13 run, before Guduric added another and-one and Fenerbahce was down 25-26 after 10 minutes. O’Quinn opened the second quarter with the first four points for a 29-26 lead, but Barcelona regained the lead 29-31 on Victor Claver’s triple. De Colo punched back with five points but Kuric, Cory Higgins, Leo Westermann and Nick Calathes all connected from deep and Barcelona went into halftime leading 42-47. 

Catch up on Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul vs FC Barcelona from Round 33 of the 2020/21 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season, April 2 2021

Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul vs FC Barcelona Highlights - Round 33 - April 2, 2021

O’Quinn came out of the break with five quick points to even the game, and then Pierre buried two triples and Jarell Eddie was also on target from deep to put Fenerbahce ahead 56-51. That is when the game changed. Westermann countered from the outside before Kuric evened things at 56-56 with a fastbreak layup. Westermann added another triple as Barcelona finished the third quarter with the final six points for a 58-62 advantage. Adam Hanga started the fourth quarter with an alley-oop dunk and a three-pointer as the lead extended to 58-67. Fenerbahce got three points back but Rolands Smits scored to make it a double-digit lead 61-71 with under 8 minutes to play. Barcelona answered every Fenerbahce score, though Guduric’s three-pointer got the hosts within 72-79 with 70 seconds to play. But Davies put back a Higgins miss and converted the bonus free throw to make it 72-82 with 43 seconds remaining to decide the game for good. 

### Fenerbahce loses Vesely, De Colo to injuries

The defeat was even worse for Fenerbahce as the team saw its two leaders go down with injuries. Fenerbahce fans were holding their collective breath just 6 minutes into the game as Jan Vesely rolled his ankle and was helped off the court. The big man was unable to return. Nando De Colo also could not finish the contest as he went knee-to-knee with Nick Calathes with 4 minutes left and had to be assisted going to the bench.
### Barcelona shuts down Fenerbahce in second half

Fenerbahce scored 25 points in the first quarter and had 42 points at the break, having made 14-of-17 two-pointers (82.3%). But Barcelona picked up its defense in the second half and conceded only 31 points in the final 20 minutes, holding the hosts to just 5-of-17 from close range (29.4%).
### Telling numbers

Barcelona absolutely crushed Fenerbahce on the glass with a 36-21 advantage. The guests grabbed 17 offensive rebounds while Fenerbahce only had 12 defensive rebounds. That led to a 28-4 advantage in second-chance points for Barcelona.
### Next games

Fenerbahce will finish the regular season with another high class showdown against a Spanish giant as it welcomes Real Madrid next Thursday. Barcelona’s regular season will end at home as it faces FC Bayern Munich the following night in a showdown of playoffs-bound teams.

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Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul v FC Barcelona (2021-04-02T17:45:00.000Z)

Valencia Basket escaped from the Mercedes-Benz Arena with a hard-fought 86-90 victory over ALBA Berlin on Friday night to stay alive in the playoff race.

Valencia rallies in Berlin to keep playoff chances alive

Valencia Basket escaped from the Mercedes-Benz Arena with a hard-fought 86-90 victory over ALBA Berlin on Friday night to stay alive in the playoff race. The visitors trailed by 18 points early in the second quarter, and still had a 10-point disadvantage entering the fourth (74-64). But Klemen Prepelic, Nikola Kalinic and Derrick Williams took over when the game went to the wire to save the day for Valencia. Prepelic set the offensive tone for the winners with 24 points - 17 in the first half - on 5-of-8 three-point shooting. Kalinic followed him with 17 points and 6 rebounds, and Williams added 15 points, Mikey Tobey tallied 12 and 7 boards and Sam Van Rossom contributed 10 points and 5 assists for Valencia, who improved to 18-15 and will face a decisive showdown against TD Systems Baskonia next week. ALBA, whose record dropped to 11-22, was led by Markus Eriksson, who scored 17 points in 22 minutes, and Simone Fontecchio, who chipped in 16. 

Even though Van Rossom opened fire with a three, the hosts took advantage of consecutive turnovers by Valencia and a couple of treys by Peyton Siva and Ben Lammers to build an early 10-3 edge. The visitors adjusted better in defense but missed 7 field goals in a row that allowed ALBA to grab a 13-3 advantage after 5 minutes. Louis Labeyrie tried to break the trend with a layup but Valencia couldn’t use that to swing momentum. A corner jumper by Eriksson and back-to-back threes by Tim Schneider made it 23-11, then Eriksson joined in from deep to close the first quarter with ALBA leading 26-13. Fontecchio and Jayson Granger extended it to 31-13 soon after, and even though Valencia returned to scoring, Eriksson completed a 4-point play to keep a 35-17 margin. The visitors stayed afloat thanks to Prepelic, who showed up with 3 consecutive three-pointers and a couple of free throws that set the score at 42-30 midway through the second quarter. Kalinic followed with 4 points in a row to reduce the gap to 10 points, 46-36, but that was the closest Valencia could get before the break as ALBA kept running a smooth offense to end the first half ahead, 53-42. 

Catch up on ALBA Berlin vs Valencia Basket from Round 33 of the 2020/21 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season, April 2 2021

ALBA Berlin vs Valencia Basket Highlights - Round 33 - April 2, 2021

A corner three by Guillem Vives brought Valencia within single-digits, 55-47, as Tobey followed with a couple of inside buckets and Williams provided a slam to make it even tighter, 58-53. The hosts tried to stop the bleeding with a timeout, but Prepelic and Williams capped a 0-10 run that made it a one-point game, 58-57. Eriksson connected from deep to prevent Valencia from completing the comeback and, when Tobey tied it at 61-61, the hosts reacted by setting a zone defense with Christ Koumadje at the center to slow Valencia down. It worked fine, as a tip-in by Koumadje, another three by Eriksson and a layup by Fontecchio returned a 70-64 edge for the home team entering the last period. Free throws by Fontecchio and a big dunk by Louis Olinde triggered the alarms for Valencia at 74-64 with 9 minutes remaining. But Prepelic showed up once again to reactivate the visitors, and Kalinic and Williams followed him to trim the deficit to 76-73. ALBA’s offense looked stuck, as only Jonas Mattisseck managed to score on a 3-12 run for Valencia that got it all square, 81-81, with less than 3 minutes to go. The teams traded points to keep the tie until Derrick Williams decided to take the reins. He first finished a fastbreak with a monster alley-oop dunk then added a three-point play to make it 86-88 with less than a minute remaining. A missed three-point attempt from Siva followed, which allowed Van Rossom to close the outcome from the line. 

### Pivotal performer

Even though Klemen Prepelic was a key weapon for Valencia all game long, it was Derrick Williams who finished the job in crunch time. He scored 9 of his total 15 points in the last 5 minutes, providing a monster alley-oop dunk to put his team ahead 83-85 and then adding a basket-plus-foul play to make it 86-88 in the last minute.
### Lesson learned

After a nightmare against Olympiacos Piraeus two days previously, Valencia seemed to be under the same kind of curse entering the game. They shot 3-of-14 and turned over the ball 6 times in the first period, which explained why they trailed 35-17 early in the second. But Valencia learned the lesson and managed to make up for it with a 12-26 run in the last 9 minutes to take the win in the end.
### Stellar stat

ALBA and Valencia are two of the best teams in the league when it comes to sharing the ball, and both proved it in this game. The hosts had 17 assists at halftime – a joint club record for a first half – and ended up dishing 26 at the end of the game. Valencia had 12 after 20 minutes and finished with a season-high 28 assists, tying for the club’s third-best in the competition.
### What’s next?

ALBA will close its Turkish Airlines Euroleague season at home, as it welcomes Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade next Thursday, April 8. Valencia Basket will face a do-or-die challenge for a playoff spot when it hosts TD Systems Baskonia the same day. 

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Valencia Basket escaped from the Mercedes-Benz Arena with a hard-fought 86-90 victory over ALBA Berlin on Friday night to stay alive in the playoff race.


ALBA Berlin v Valencia Basket (2021-04-02T17:00:00.000Z)

Real Madrid never trailed as it used the last home game of the regular season to improve its playoff chances and down already-eliminated Olympiacos Piraeus 72-63 on Friday night in the Spanish capital.

 Real bounces back, downs Olympiacos

Real Madrid never trailed as it used the last home game of the regular season to improve its playoff chances and down already-eliminated Olympiacos Piraeus 72-63 on Friday night in the Spanish capital. Real holds a 19-14 record going into the regular season finale, while Olympiacos drops to 15-18 with one game to go. Real took control of the game from the start behind its defense, allowing just 11 first-quarter points and just 26 in the first half. The host built a double-digit lead behind Gabriel Deck and Walter Tavares, and the visitors never came closer than 8 points in the second half. Deck paced the winners with 18 points on 7-for-7 two-pointers, while Tavares finished with 15 points, 8 rebounds, 4 steals and 2 blocks in the victory. Sasha Vezenkov netted 22 points as the only double-digits scorer for Olympiacos.

Real started strong and aggressive on defense, allowing just one basket, a second-chance layup from Georgios Printezis, in 6 minutes to open the game. Real also forced 3 turnovers in that span, while taking it to the rim on offense with Deck scoring three layups to open a 9-2 lead. The Reds scored a pair of fastbreak layups from Charles Jenkins and Vezenkov, but Nicolas Laprovittola had a triple and fadeway jumper to increase the margin to 18-8. Printezis answered with a three-point play, but Deck banked a last-second jumper to make it 20-11 after 10 minutes. Vezenkov and Alberto Abalde traded threes, but two easy buckets from Tavares opened 27-16. The Reds were not going away, with Vassilis Spanoulis taking it to the rim and Octavius Ellis scoring inside, but a transition triple and a second-chance floater from Jaycee Carroll kept Real's lead in double figures. Ellis had an alley-oop dunk and Spanoulis drove to the rim once again, but the hosts still took 36-26 into halftime.

Catch up on Real Madridv Olympiacos Piraeus from Round 33 of the 2020/21 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season, April 2 2021

Real Madrid vs Olympiacos Piraeus Highlights - Round 33 - April 2, 2021

Carlos Alocen opened a 13-point margin with a triple to start the third quarter. Kostas Sloukas had a long two and a three to cut it into single digits, before Jeffery Taylor and Trey Thompkins knocked down back-to-back triples to make it a 47-33 game midway through the third as Olympiacos was held without a basket for almost 4 minutes. Vezenkov scored 5 points before the end of the quarter, but Tavares netted twice inside to make it 53-38 after 30 minutes. Tavares made the margin 17 points, largest of the night, to open the fourth quarter, before Vezenkov and Giannoulis Larentzakis fueled a 2-8 run to get the visitors within 57-46. Tavares scored from close range again, and Rudy Fernandez made one from downtown, but Spanoulis and Vezenkov bagged back-to-back triples to make it 62-52. However, Abalde nailed a three, and Deck raced for a fastbreak dunk to restore a 15-point lead. A transition triple from Larentzakis got the Reds within 69-60 with 1:48 to go, but Deck scored on the ensuing possession to seal the deal.

### Key contributor

Gabriel Deck set the tone early, and had 10 first-quarter points on the way to becoming Real's top scorer for the night with 18 points. By going 7-for-7 on two-point shooting, Deck also became the only Real player not named Walter Tavares with at least 7 made two-point shots in a single game this season.
### Defensive effort

Real allowed 108 points earlier in the week in a loss against Anadolu Efes Istanbul, but stepped up on the defensive end and had no letdowns during this game, allowing just 63 points, tied for its third-fewest this season.
### Reyes makes impact

Felipe Reyes made his third appearance of the season, but the first on home floor and the first as a 41-year old. The best offensive rebounder in EuroLeague history needed less than 25 seconds to get an offensive board, and collected 3 rebounds, 1 block and 1 steal in 5 minutes on the floor in the second quarter, helping Real take a double-digit lead into the second half.
### Head-coaching opportunity

A one-game suspension for Real Head Coach Pablo Laso allowed his long-time assistant Chus Mateo an opportunity to act in the senior role. Mateo previously coached Unicaja Malaga in the EuroLeague in the 2011-12 season.
### Next week

In the final round of the regular season, Real will be in action on the road fighting for a place in the playoffs against Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul on Thursday, while Olympiacos will wrap up its season a day later when it welcomes Khimki Moscow Region.

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Real Madrid v Olympiacos Piraeus (2021-04-02T19:00:00.000Z)

CSKA Moscow secured homecourt advantage in the playoffs with a commanding 97-72 local derby home win over Khimki Moscow Region

CSKA breezes past Khimki to seal homecourt

CSKA Moscow secured homecourt advantage in the playoffs with a commanding 97-72 local derby home win over Khimki Moscow Region. CSKA was in control from the beginning and never trailed, moving steadily into a 47-34 lead by half-time. The gap kept on growing, reaching 30 late in the third quarter, and the Reds cruised home the rest of the way. Michael Eric scored 10 points in the first quarter in his total of 14, and fellow big man Johannes Voigtmann was CSKA’s top performer with 16 points and 9 rebounds. Iffe Lundberg also scored 16, Darrun Hilliard had 13, Toko Shengelia scored 11 and Will Clyburn added 10. Jordan Mickey led Khimki with 16 points, 7 rebounds and 6 steals, Sergey Karasev scored 15 and Errick McCollom netted 14. CSKA improves to 22-10, while Khimki sinks to 4-28.

Inside scores from Shengelia and Eric got CSKA 6-0 ahead early, with Khimki held scoreless for more than 3 minutes before Karasev hit consecutive triples to tie it up. Eric stayed hot by adding three more close-range scores, and a corner triple from Voigtmann stretched the lead to 15-8. Voigtmann added two more inside baskets, including a brutal dunk, but free throws from Mickey and an Evgeny Voronov buzzer-beating three-pointer pulled Khimki back to 21-17 after ten minutes. Clyburn’s driving layup and a Lundberg transition basket opened the second quarter, before McCollom got his first points with a jumper. Janis Strelnieks and McCollom traded triples and baskets were evenly exchanged over the next few minutes, before triples from Lundberg and Clyburn gave CSKA a 37-28 edge. Eric came back off the bench to take the lead to double figures, and free throws extended the interval advantage to 47-34 despite a mid-range buzzer beating jumper from Mickey.

Catch up on CSKA Moscow vs Khimki Moscow Region from Round 33 of the 2020/21 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season, April 2 2021

CSKA Moscow vs Khimki Moscow Region Highlights - Round 33 - April 2, 2021

Eric started the second half with a bang as he threw down a huge slam, and Lundberg stretched the lead to 51-34. Karasev hit back with a three-point play followed by a floater, but Lundberg struck from deep and Shengelia added a layup and one for a 57-39 advantage. Voigtmann added another three-point play to take the lead past 20. Hilliard scored three consecutive baskets to make it 69-40, before Evgeny Valiev finally ended the 18-1 run with a tip-in. Hilliard added a three-point play and Alexander Khomenko struck a long two, making it 76-47 at the end of the third. McCollom pulled it closer with 7 consecutive points as Khimki started the fourth quarter with a 0-9 run, but Shengelia and Voigtmann steadied CSKA to ensure there would be no dramatic Khimki comeback. Mickey tried to keep it respectable with two more scores, but Lundberg in penetration and Daniel Hackett from the corner extended the margin to 90-65. There was little action in the latter stages with the outcome already well and truly decided.

### Inside dominance for CSKA

CSKA focused all its early efforts inside, not attempting a three-point shot until 5 minutes had been played. And that set the tone for the rest of the game, with the home side converting an outstanding 32-of-44 two-point attempts (72.7%). Those 32 two-pointers were CSKA’s highest of the season.
### Mid-season signings step up

Michael Eric was the dominant figure in the opening stages, scoring 10 of CSKA’s first 12 points. The center was held back after picking up his third foul early in the second half, but his total of 14 points was his best for the team since signing in mid-season. Iffe Lundberg also recorded his best figures in a CSKA uniform with 16 points and 4 assists.
### Itoudis spreads the load

CSKA coach Dimitris Itoudis used his team’s huge third quarter advantage as an opportunity to spread playing time across the roster. 11 players had at least 12 minutes on the floor, and the other member of the roster, Alexander Khomenko, was given 6:18 playing time. No CSKA player spent more than 22 minutes in the game.
### Next round

CSKA plays its penultimate game of the regular season at home to LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne next Thursday, while Khimki is back in action on Tuesday for a rearranged Round 24 meeting at Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv.

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CSKA Moscow secured homecourt advantage in the playoffs with a commanding 97-72 local derby home win over Khimki Moscow Region


CSKA Moscow v Khimki Moscow Region (2021-04-02T17:00:00.000Z)

Shane Larkin scored 28 of his 30 points after halftime and Anadolu Efes Istanbul held off several late TD Systems Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz rallied to claim a 101-111 overtime victory at Buesa Arena on Thursday night.

Larkin leads Efes to record tally in Vitoria

Shane Larkin scored 28 of his 30 points after halftime and Anadolu Efes Istanbul held off several late TD Systems Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz rallied to claim a 101-111 overtime victory at Buesa Arena on Thursday night. In doing so, Efes set a club scoring record, improved its record to 22-11 and edged closer to securing home-court advantage in the playoffs. Baskonia, which allowed the most points in its history, saw a four-game losing streak snapped and fell to 18-15 at the far end of the playoff zone. Krunoslav Simon added 21 points for the winners, Vasilije Micic tallied 16 points and 5 assists, Adrien Moerman scored 14 with 8 rebounds and Sertac Sanli had 12 points and 4 blocked shots. Achille Polonara paced Baskonia with 23 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists, Rokas Giedratitis scored 21, Alec Peters compiled 15 points and 9 rebounds, Pierria Henry had 15 points and 8 assists and Luca Vildoza recorded 14 points – including the triple that forced overtime – and 6 assists. 

Sanli opened the scoring with a slam before Ilimane Diop got Baskonia going with a triple. The teams traded shots with mid-range jumpers by Rodrigue Beaubois and Henry making it 9-9 after 5 minutes. Micic's first points put Efes up 4, but Youssoupha Fall had a block on one end and a basket at the other to keep Baskonia close. Sanli reached 8 first-quarter points and Simon added a three for a 13-20 advantage. Peters netted a tip-in and a long jumper to close the gap to 19-22 after 10 minutes. Micic and Adrien Moerman extended the Efes edge to 8 early in the second quarter. A steal and layup by Micic gave the visitors a double-digit margin. James Anderson added a three and Micic scored again to complete a 2-14 run that made it 21-36. Vildoza revived Baskonia with a three, a steal and an unsportsmanlike foul from Micic. He added free throws and a layup before a slam by Peters prompted an Efes timeout. The momentum remained with the home side as Henry went coast to coast for a layup and Polonara nailed a three to cap an 11-0 run that made it 39-40. Beaubois responded from downtown for Efes and an unsportsmanlike foul committed by Henry led to a Singleton free throw and a 41-46 halftime lead. 

Catch up on TD Systems Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz vs Anadolu Efes Istanbul from Round 33 of the 2020/21 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season, April 1 2021

TD Systems Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz vs Anadolu Efes Istanbul Highlights - Round 33 - April 1, 2021

Peters drew the hosts within 1 early in the second half, but a three by Simon kept Efes ahead. Peters hit back from downtown and his steal triggered a fastbreak that Polonara finished with a sunk to make it 52-53. The cat-and-mouse game continued with Larkin keeping Efes in the driver's seat and Polonara keeping Baskonia hot on the visitors' heels. Free throws by Zoran Dragic ended the third quarter with the score 63-65. Dragic's step-back jumper tied the game early in the fourth. Back-to-back threes by Larkin prompted a Baskonia timeout at 65-71. Even though Baskonia continued to score, it was unable to stop Efes, which netted points on four straight possessions to stretch the lead to 69-76 on a Simon triple. Polonara changed things with a steal and a put-back before Vildoza made it 75-76 midway through the fourth quarter. An Efes timeout changed little as Giedraitis's three gave Baskonia its first lead since the opening minutes. He added free throws to make it 80-76. Simon and Micic responded with back-to-back threes to restore an Efes lead. Polonara hit back from downtown for an 83-82 edge with 2 and a half minutes to go. Henry added a baseline slam, but Larkin soon tied it again, 85-85. Sanli fouled out and Peters scored in the paint, but Larkin's fifth three of the night gave Efes the lead with 50.2 seconds on the clock. It came down to the final possession in which Vildoza drilled a three to tie it at 92-92 and force overtime.

Larkin remained hot with a four-point play to start the extra session. Moerman followed with a basket-plus-foul. Layups by Henry and Giedraitis got Baskonia within 96-98. Larkin answered with a jumper, Moerman scored on the break and Chris Singleton's three-pointer all but sealed the outcome at 96-106 with 1:26 remaining. Baskonia had finally run out of gas and Efes chalked up another tough victory. 

### Pivotal player

At halftime, Efes led by 5, but Shane Larkin had done little against his former team. He had just 2 points in 11:28. Larkin warmed up with 8 points in the third quarter before exploding for 12 points on 4-of-4 three-point shooting in the fourth quarter. He started the overtime period with a four-point play and added another 4 points to finish with a season-high 30 on 6-of-9 shooting from behind the arc.
### Critical numbers

In addition to outrebounding Baskonia 36-43, Efes prevailed thanks to its excellent three-point shooting. Efes made more than double the number of threes that Baskonia did, shooting 16 for 36 (44.4%). The home team was 7 for 31 (22.6%) from behind the arc.
### Did you know?

This game marked the sixth time in the last seven clashes between these two teams that the visiting side has won. The aberration was a 96-85 victory for Efes at home in Round 10 of the 2018-19 season.
### What's next?

Baskonia will visit Valencia Basket in its regular season finale on Thursday, April 8, in what may be a crucial battle for a playoff spot. Efes's Round 34 game will be the next day at AX Armani Exchange Milan. 

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TD Systems Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz v Anadolu Efes Istanbul (2021-04-01T17:00:00.000Z)

Panathinaikos OPAP Athens rallied from 20 points down to knock off AX Armani Exchange Milan 86-83 in overtime at home and toughen Milan’s fight for home-court advantage in the playoffs. 

Panathinaikos rallies from 20 down to beat Milan in OT

Panathinaikos OPAP Athens rallied from 20 points down to knock off AX Armani Exchange Milan 86-83 in overtime at home and toughen Milan’s fight for home-court advantage in the playoffs. Mario Hezonja scored a game-high 17 points and Ben Bentil tallied a career-high 16 points with 6 rebounds for Panathinaikos, which trailed 22-42 in the second quarter, but allowed only 24 points in the third and fourth quarters combined. Georgios Papagiannis collected 14 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 blocks, Ioannis Papapetrou scored 14 points and Shelvin Mack chipped in 11 points to help Panathinaikos improve to 11-20. Vladimir Micov scored 15 points to pace six scorers in double figures for Milan, which dropped to 20-13 and fifth place. Kevin Punter poured in 13 points, Zach Leday, Kaleb Tarczewski and Shavon Shields all had 12 points and Sergio Rodriguez contributed 10 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists in the loss. 

After Papagiannis opened the scoring, Milan got the next 6 points and then Leday and Punter drained three-pointers for a 4-12 lead. Shields and Punter followed from deep and the margin was 6-20. Nedovic answered with a three-pointer and Hezonja added 4 points to get Panathinaikos within 13-23. The guests led 15-26 after 10 minutes. Rodriguez twice fed Tarczewski for baskets in the opening moments of the second quarter. Micov drained a triple and Tarczewski scored yet again as Milan extended the margin to 20-37. It ballooned to 20 points (22-42) on another Leday three-pointer. Bentil punched back from deep and Panathinaikos trimmed it to 15 points, but trailed 29-46 at the break. 

Watch the Game Highlights from Panathinaikos OPAP Athens vs. AX Armani Exchange Milan, 04/01/2021

Panathinaikos OPAP Athens vs AX Armani Exchange Milan Highlights - Round 33 - April 1, 2021

Bentil opened the second half with two scores before a three-pointer from Papapetrou. The big man picked up 4 more points as Panathinaikos trimmed the deficit to 40-50. Micov hit back with a three-pointer and a Rodriguez layup pushed the gap to 40-55. Panathinaikos dug in defensively and held the guests scoreless for nearly 4 minutes. Hezonja drained a triple as the lead was down to 46-55. Luigi Datome stopped the drought, but Aaron White’s free throws made it 49-59 after 30 minutes.

Shields scored the first 4 points of the final frame as the lead got to 14 points, 49-63. Panathinaikos got three-pointers from Mack and Papapetrou as the deficit shrunk to single figures, 55-63. A Tarczewski dunk snapped a 3-minute scoreless streak only to see Papapetrou score at the other end and Bentil rebound a missed bonus free throw and put it back, 59-65. The Greens’ defense remained resilient, while Papagiannis came up with three scores to make it 68-69. Punter made just one of two free throws with 14 seconds left and that allowed Hezonja to even the game on a layup with 1.8 seconds remaining to send the game to overtime.

Hezonja opened the extra session with a three-pointer and after Tarczewski split 2 free throws, Mack also hit from deep. Papapetrou followed suit from long range and Panathinaikos led 81-73 midway through the overtime. Mack added two layups and the hosts were up 85-75 with under 2 minutes to play. Milan had one more run left as Micov hit a three-pointer and Datome converted three free throws with 18 seconds left to make it 86-83. Papagiannis missed both free throws 7 seconds later, but Datome was off-target on the potential game-tying three-pointer. 

### Comeback specialist against Milan

Panathinaikos's rally from 20 points down was the biggest comeback by the Greens in a EuroLeague game to win. The previous record was 17 points - in a game against Milan as well in 2018.
### Nedovic back in the mix

Panathinaikos's efforts were given a boost as the game marked the return of Nemanja Nedovic. The Serbian guard came into the game averaging 16.7 points a game, having last played in Round 23. Nedovic only recorded 3 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist and 1 block. But most importantly, he helped Panathinaikos win.
### Telling numbers

Milan made 5 of its first 8 three-pointers and then connected on just 4-of-25 (16.0%) the rest of the way. Panathinaikos also gave up 24 points off its turnovers or second-chance points in the first half. Milan finished with 32 in the game.
### Next games

Panathinaikos still has two games to play and will travel to Lithuania for its penultimate game against Zalgiris Kaunas on Thursday, April 8. Milan will travel back home for its final regular-season game and welcome Anadolu Efes Istanbul the next day in a game that could have a major impact on home-court advantage in the playoffs. 

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Panathinaikos OPAP Athens v AX Armani Exchange Milan (2021-04-01T18:00:00.000Z)

FC Bayern Munich made history by claiming a spot in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Playoffs for the first time by edging Zalgiris Kaunas 71-70 at Audi Dome on Thursday.

Bayern edges Zalgiris to reach playoffs 

FC Bayern Munich made history by claiming a spot in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Playoffs for the first time by edging Zalgiris Kaunas 71-70 at Audi Dome on Thursday. In a game that came down to the last shot, Bayern prevailed to improve to 20-13 in the standings. Zalgiris, which was already out of chances to make it to the next phase, dropped to 16-17. Vladimir Lucic led the winners with 13 points – including the game-winning free throws and a game-clinching block in the final seconds. Jalen Reynolds added 12 and Nick Weiler-Babb had 11 for Bayern. Thomas Walkup paced Zalgiris with 16 points. Nigel Hayes and Joffrey Lauvergne each scored 12 and Lukas Lekavicius 10 for the visitors. Lekavicius helped Zalgiris to a 21-22 lead after 10 minutes. Bayern took a 37-36 lead at halftime, extended it to 57-54 after 30 minutes and then to 63-56 early in the fourth quarter. Walkup and Hayes put Zalgiris ahead, 67-70, James Gist scored down low and then Lucic hit free throws and had the biggest block in club's history to send Bayern to the playoffs. 

Lauvergne got Zalgiris going with a jump hook, but Reynolds quickly gave Bayern its first lead, 4-2. Walkup, Weiler-Babb and Marius Grigonis each made a three-pointer and Wade Baldwin IV banked in a close shot for a 9-8 score. Walkup erased Reynolds's layup with a floater and Lekavicius followed a triple with a driving basket for an 11-15 Zalgiris edge. D.J. Seeley and Baldwin stepped up for Bayern, but Hayes and Martinas Geben kept the visitors ahead, 15-19. JaJuan Johnson took over with a three-point play and then Weiler-Babb and Lekavicius each struck from downtown to fix the score at 21-22 after 10 minutes. Weiler-Babb and Grigonis traded floaters early in the second quarter and Lucic buried a three-pointer for a 26-24 Bayern lead. Walkup answered with a backdoor layup and Lauvergne scored in the paint, but Lucic and Baldwin kept the hosts in charge, 30-28. Leon Radosevic improved on Lauvergne's alley-oop slam with a triple, but Lekavicius and Karolis Lukosiunas gave Zalgiris a 35-36 lead. Gist put Bayern back in charge, 37-36, at halftime. 

Catch up on FC Bayern Munich vs Zalgiris Kaunas from Round 33 of the 2020/21 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season, April 1 2021

FC Bayern Munich vs Zalgiris Kaunas Highlights - Round 33 - April 1, 2021

Paulius Jankunas hit a corner triple soon after the break. Reynolds scored twice in the low post and Paul Zipser downed a jumper, but Lauvergne followed back-to-back dunks with a jumper to keep Zalgiris ahead, 43-47. After Hayes buried a three-pointer, Reynolds and Lucic each dunked to bring Bayern within 48-50. Rokas Jokubaitis stepped up with consecutive layups. Weiler-Babb, Seeley and Radosevic each struck from downtown for a 57-54 Bayern lead after 30 minutes. Jankunas sank a jump hook, but Lucic and Zan Sisko boosted the hosts' lead to 61-56. Lucic buried a close jumper. Walkup followed a three-pointer with a dunk off a steal that caused Bayern to call timeout at 63-61. Gist rescued Zalgiris with a put-back layup, but Hayes improved on it with his second triple and added a close basket for a 65-66 Zalgiris lead with over 2 minutes left. Walkup hit free throws and Hayes scored again, but Gist kept the hosts close at 69-70. Lucic drew a foul with 2.3 seconds left and made both attempts. Zalgiris had a final chance to win it, but Lucic blocked Lauvergne's shot at the buzzer. 

### Pivotal performer

Vladimir Lucic stepped up as his team's undeniable leader in crunch time, but he was also Bayern's best player in this game. He finished the game with 13 points, 6 rebounds, 2 blocks and 8 fouls drawn for a PIR of 18.
### Game-changing moment

Zalgiris led 67-70 in the next-to-last minute. James Gist scored around the basket and Vladimir Lucic drew a foul with just 2.3 seconds to go. He buried both attempts. Zalgiris called timeout and put the ball in Joffrey Lauvergne's hands but Lucic blocked his shot at the buzzer.
### Stellar stat

The game came down to small details. Steals and blocks were some of these details. Bayern had 11 steals and only made 12 turnovers. Zalgiris collected just 4 steals and had 16 turnovers. Bayern also had 4 blocks and Zalgiris had none.
### Did you know?

Bayern also became the first German team to reach the EuroLeague Quarterfinals since the turn of the millennium. ALBA Berlin reached the quarterfinals in the 1998 EuroLeague and the 2001 FIBA SuproLeague, where it lost against AEK Athens and Panathinaikos Athens, respectively.
### Next game

Both teams return to EuroLeague action next week. Zalgiris finishes its 2020-21 EuroLeague campaign with a home game against Panathinaikos OPAP Athens on Thursday, April 8. A day later, Bayern visits first place FC Barcelona. 

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FC Bayern Munich v Zalgiris Kaunas (2021-04-01T18:30:00.000Z)