Real Madrid beat Barcelona 97-73 in the Spanish capital to go 5-1 in Group E in what was the main event clash in one of the Euroleague’s most anticipated rounds of the Top 16 in recent memory.
Unfortunately, the latest version of el’ Clasico did not quite live up to its billing as Real, like they have in the last two Euroleague meetings against Barca, ran out deserved winners.
Sergio Rodriguez led Madrid with 23 points and 6 assists with Rudy Fernandez adding 22 as the hosts raced to a 26-16 lead after the first period and always looked comfortable.
“We had a great game, scoring 97 points,” Rodriguez said. “We played very good defence and when we play with this intensity and our fans behind us, everything is much easier. Above all, we have to keep playing with intensity. This is what we have been doing on defence and it is working well for us, but we have to keep working to do that even better.”
Mario Hezonja paced Barcelona with 22 points but they fall to 3-3.
Elsewhere in Group E and a Jeremy Pargo three-pointer at the end of overtime was all that separated Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv and Galatasaray as the reigning Euroleague champions won 97-94 in Istanbul.
Pargo had the opportunity to clinch the win for his side at the end of regulation as Zoran Erceg spurned the chance to give the hosts the lead at the foul line with four seconds left. The American launched from just inside his own half but it failed to make the target, sending the game to an extra five minutes.
Pargo was to make no mistake the second time round, silencing the 11,500+ fans packed into the Abdi Ipecki Arena with a buzzer-beating triple.
Devin Smith led Maccabi with 24 points; with Pargo finishing on 17 as Maccabi go to 5-1, topping the pool. Erceg scored 29 points for Galatasaray as they slump to 2-4.
Red Star’s Marcus Williams had an open look for three, but his effort was too strong, allowing Zalgiris to pick up a vital 70-68 win over the Serbian giants in Belgrade.
In a game between the bottom two teams in Group E, Zalgiris had the upper hand for the entire duration only to be challenged in the latter stages of the third quarter onwards by a determined Red Star side. The Lithuanian champions had enough willpower though to leave the Kombank Arena with a win.
James Anderson led Zalgiris with 22 points, cancelling out Boban Marjanovic’s superb 17-point, 10-rebound effort for Red Star.
Olympiacos halted CSKA Moscow’s 15-game unbeaten run by defeating them 84-76 in the lone Group F encounter on Thursday.
Vassilis Spanoulis led the winners with 19 points. Matt Lojeski added 13 as both teams are now level at the top of the group on 5-1 records.
