Home EuroLeague Galatasaray and Red Star go the distance, Euroleague round up (statement included)

Galatasaray and Red Star go the distance, Euroleague round up (statement included)

Galatasaray finally got the better of Red Star Belgrade after a 110-103 marathon in Group D that spanned two overtime periods.

With the game tied at 82-82 after regulation and 96-96 after the first period of overtime, neither team could be separated. In the second session, Carlos Arroyo, who played all 50 minutes and Zoran Erceg stepped up for Galatasaray to get the better of the Serbs.

Both teams move to 3-3 in the group. Erceg scored 32 points and was perfect in 14 trips to the line, while Arroyo piled up 26 points and 6 assists. History was made for the visitors too; Marcus Williams set a new Euroleague record with 17 assists. Luka Mitrovic nearly doubled his previous high with 30 points to set a new club record.

“It was an excellent game for both sides. [Red Star] is a young but talented team,” Erceg said. “They fought really well. We struggled especially in the second half. But in the overtime we used the experience to our advantage. It’s good to win and keep chasing for Top 16.”

A 12-1 run by Real Madrid lifted them to a 68-66 win over Zalgiris in Kaunas as the Liga Endesa side bounced back from defeat to Anadolu Efes last week to improve to 5-1 in Group A.

In his first start since the 2012-13 Euroleague season, Sergio Rodriguez led the winners with 14 points, as the Spaniards came back from 7 points down in the fourth quarter to grab the win.

“They key was our defence in the last few minutes,” Rodriguez said. “We didn’t play a real good game. They’re a hard team to play. We lost last year, the last time we were here. So we are happy now and focused on the next game.”

James Anderson led Zalgiris with 21 points but missed the game-winner with the last shot the game.

“It was a big and great game,” Anderson said. “We came out and competed till the end. On the last shot I thought I had a good position, so I rose up, but it just didn’t fall.”

Nizhny Novgorod picked up their second win in Group A after they beat Dinamo Sassari 89-82 as a game-winning 14-0 run late in the fourth quarter gave the Russians the lead for good.

Nizhny moved to 3-3 in the group while the Italians drop to 1-5.

Taylor Rochestie hit 29 points for the winners, a game-high and a career-high. Tarence Kinsey added 15 points with 9 rebounds.

The lone Group B game saw Unicaja Malaga beat Cedevita 82-73 as Ryan Toolson’s 19 points led them to victory.

The Liga Endesa side move to 4-2 in Group A. Cedevita dropped to 1-5.

“It was a tough game, difficult,” Unicaja coach Joan Plaza said. “Cedevita competes really well against most teams. They depend a lot on two players, Ukic and Bilan, and we had a tough time against them. It was a very important game for them. When you play against a team that fights for a certain goal, it is always more difficult.”

Euroleague Statement Re: Galatasaray-Red Star Belgrade.

Euroleague Basketball and its clubs, players and coaches throughout the continent join the world family of sports this weekend in mourning the death of a visiting fan to Istanbul on Friday and in condemning the senseless violence that took his life. 

The 25-year-old stabbing victim, Marko Ivkovic, had travelled from Belgrade to support Crvena Zvezda Telekom in its road game against Galatasaray Liv Hospital Istanbul. The incident, which took place before his arrival to the arena, is under investigation of the Turkish authorities. 

Euroleague Basketball has requested that both clubs and the Turkish authorities investigating the crime make available all the information about the incident and will evaluate any measures to be taken. 

Through his club and Serbian authorities, Euroleague Basketball has expressed its deepest condolences to the victim’s family. 

“This tragedy offends the true spirit of sports,” Jordi Bertomeu, President and CEO of Euroleague Basketball, said in a statement. “Violence has no place in our game, at our arenas or anywhere near them. It’s just the opposite. Respect between rivals dedicated to the same ideals should bring us all together. That is why we organize and play sports. Today, we must all refocus on those ideals.”

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