CSKA make Euroleague quarter-finals

7msports > Basketball Video > CSKA make Euroleague quarter-finals

Thursday, February 23 2012 by SNTV

Intro:

CSKA Moscow became the first team to seal their place in the Euro league quarter-finals, thrashing visitors Olympiacos 96-64 in the top 16 on Wednesday to advance with a game to spare.

In the night's other games, Galatasaray Medical Park beat Anadolu Efes 64-56 to end their fellow Turkish side's hopes of reaching the last eight, while Montepaschi are all but mathematically assured of their play-off place despite losing 60-59 to Gescrap Bilbao.

Script:

CSKA Moscow were looking to bounce back from their first defeat of the current Euroleague season when they hosted Olympiacos in Group E on Wednesday night.

Victory for the Russian side would see them advance from the Top 16 with a game to spare.

CSKA started the game with a 10-0 scoring run - Andrey Vorontsevich with five of the points - and they went on to outscore their visitors 30-16 in the opening quarter.

The dominance continued in the second quarter and CSKA carried a commanding 54-26 lead into the half-time break.

Olympiacos finally got into the game in the third quarter, matching CSKA with 18 points apiece.

But CSKA's advantage peaked at 86-52 in the fourth quarter and they eased to a 96-64 win that sent them through as the first team to reach the play-offs.

Olympiacos must win their final game against Galatasaray Medical Park if they're to follow CSKA into the last eight.

Galatasaray remain on course for the play-offs after they beat fellow Turkish side Anadolu Efes 64-56, ending their visitors' hopes of advancing.

Although Efes opened the scoring, their hosts then went on to notch an 8-0 scoring run and never trailed for the rest of the game.

Galatasaray held a seven-point lead at the end of the opening quarter and held that advantage for most of the game.

Luksa Andric led the way for Galatasaray with 15 points and seven rebounds, while Joshua Shipp, Jaka Lakovic and Jamon Gordon all finished with nine points apiece.

But Efes' Stanko Barac led all scorers with 16 points.

Galatasaray will now advance with a win over Olympiacos in their next game.

The only other top 16 game played on Wednesday night was in Group F - Gescrap Bilbao of Spain hosting high-flying Montepaschi Siena.

Defences reigned supreme in the first half - Montepaschi with a slight 22-21 advantage at half-time.

Gescrap were back on level terms by the end of the third quarter though and the game would be decided in the dying seconds.

The Spanish side led 58-56 with 13.9 seconds left on the clock, only for Montepaschi leading scorer Igor Rakocevic - who finished with 14 points - and Bootsy Thornton to put the Italians back on top.

However, Raul Lopez found the target right on the final buzzer and his shot sealed a narrow 60-59 victory.

Gescrap will seal their place in the play-offs if they win their final top 16 game against Unicaja.