FC Barcelona survived a late thriller vs fellow EuroLeague powerhouse CSKA Moscow (81-73) and returned to the top of the league.
The Catalans endured a wild comeback of the Russians and went on an impressive run in the fourth quarter to protect their home court.
CSKA trailed by as many as 14 points early in the third quarter (41-27). Yet, a 10-33 run helped the visitors take control after three quarters (51-60).
FC Barcelona, though, turned things around and went on a 30-13 run of their own to secure their eighth EuroLeague win. FC Barcelona is on top with an 8-2 record. Meanwhile, CSKA Moscow is still within the playoff zone, at 5-5.
Maccabi Tel-Aviv used a strong offensive performance in the second half and rallied past Monaco to return to the winning track (95-84).
Monaco was in front at halftime (41-44) and trailed by one after 30 minutes (62-61). However, the Israelis outscored their opponents 33-23 in the fourth quarter to turn things around and claim the win.
Maccabi climbed to 7-3 and is one win away from the top of the table. For their part, Monaco have lost two of their last three and now are at 5-5.
In Kazan, UNICS made its best performance this season and dominated league leaders Armani Milano (97-71). The Russians used a 25-7 run in the second quarter to take control and never look back. Another impressive run in the third quarter (20-7) gave the hosts a 20+ lead, enabling them to cruise to the victory.
UNICS have now won four of their last five and improved to 5-5. They also tied a club record by draining 14 three-pointers. On the other hand, Armani dropped to 8-2, but remains on top.
Anadolu Efes dominated Olympiacos in the fourth quarter and claimed a big home win (88-69). It was a late thriller for three quarters (44-44, 68-66), yet a 20-3 run in the fourth quarter helped the Turks seal the deal.
Anadolu Efes extended its winning streak to two games and now is at 4-6. Rodrigue Beaubois led the winners with a career-high 29 points, on 7-of-10 from beyond the arc.
On the contrary, Olympiacos have now lost two straight and remained winless on the road (0-4), dropping to 6-4.
Zenit Saint Petersburg maintained a top four push, thanks to its 75-66 home win vs ALBA Berlin. The Russians took control from the opening tip and clinched another crucial win in their quest for a playoff spot.
Jordan Loyd led the winners with 25 points, while Zenit now is at 7-3 in the standings. On the contrary, ALBA remained close to the bottom, with a 3-7 record.
