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CSKA Moscow moved level with Real Madrid at the top of the EuroLeague standings following an impressive showing at Barcelona.

Nando De Colo had 21 points as the Muscovites used a devastating 29-4 first quarter as a launchpad to an eventual 85-61 win over Barcelona.

“Obviously, we opened the game really good, offensively and defensively,” said CSKA coach Dimitris Itoudis.

“We picked up from there and continued to have the lead, playing good basketball. We lost the second and third quarter but still had a big difference and continued playing the same way: players are not robots. Congratulations to the team, this is a good victory.”

The win moves CSKA level pegging with Real Madrid at the EuroLeague summit but as the Spaniards have the head-to-head over their Russian counterparts, they stay top.

For Barcelona, the loss moves them further away from Playoff contention as they stay 11th.

Darussafaka Dogus remained in Playoff contention as they saw off Panathinaikos 77-72 in Istanbul.

In a highly engaging and closely fought contest, Darussafaka held their nerve in the final minutes of the fourth quarter to ultimately secure the win as they solidify ninth spot.

“We played tough,” said Brad Wanamaker who led the winners with 24 points.

“We came out, we wanted this game, and we showed it for 40 minutes. They are a tough team, but we needed this win. We were desperate and we got the win. Any time you can keep your turnovers under 10, you have a good chance to win. We took care of the ball. We were just reading the defense. We needed this win, and I am happy for my teammates, coaches and our fans for this win.”

But Darussafaka are still out of the Playoff seeds as Anadolu Efes came away from Russia with a 99-92 overtime win over Unics Kazan.

While Anadolu Efes enjoy their fourth straight win, Unics becomes the first team in the newly formatted EuroLeague to be eliminated from post-season contention.

Derrick Brown led the winners with 24 points with Jayson Granger adding 17.

“I think we did a pretty good job for the most part of the game,” Granger said. “We controlled our basket, defensive rebounds, but we got a lot of offensive rebounds, too. We came really strong in overtime and are really happy.”